A Family Affair
by Anne-Ships-EO
Summary: The agency receives threats on the lives of Amanda's family. They will be killed one by one unless Lee meets the demands of the KGB. Drastic measures need to be taken to ensure the family's safety. Will they all be alright? Set near the end of season 3. Read chapter 1 to get an idea where this is going.
1. Chapter 1: Compromised

_Setting of this story is near the end of season 3, after "The Eyes Have It" and before "The Boy Who Would be King". I just can't get over how they were sitting at the concert at the end of "The Boy Who Would be King". Something had definitely changed between them then!_

...

**1\. Compromised**

It had been a very ordinary Tuesday.

Philip and Jamie were in their rooms doing their homework while Dotty and Amanda were sitting down for a cup of coffee in front of the TV after they had cleaned after up dinner. They were each curled up in a corner of the couch.

"So," Dotty said, and Amanda already knew what was coming next. "Are you ever going to tell me why you stopped seeing Dean?"

Amanda sighed.

"I already told you that, mother."

"Well, then I guess that I just still don't get it."

"And _I_ guess you're right about that," Amanda said.

She didn't really feel like going into this _again _with her mother. There really hadn't been anything wrong with Dean and they both knew it. She had just missed the magic, as she called it. That spark that made her jump up whenever she saw him; that made her heart beat faster whenever she thought of him; that made her long for him whenever he touched her and that made her want to rush home after work to spend time with him. It made her sad to know that Dean actually missed her boys now that they weren't together anymore, but the fact that she didn't miss Dean at all, really told her all she needed to know.

That, and perhaps the fact that there was another man that made her heart beat faster whenever she thought of him these days.

For the longest time she hadn't wanted to acknowledge that at all - and since this particular man infuriated her to no end very regularly, she had hidden her feelings for him behind a general sense of annoyment for quite a while. It was ironic that she was forced to face those feelings each time her mother brought Dean back up, or the fact that she'd had no meaningful dates since breaking up with him, because that was where her thoughts drifted instantly at the mere mention of dating.

Lee Stetson …

"I just can't help thinking there _must _be someone else," Dotty continued and Amanda rolled her eyes. "For a while, I was convinced that it had to be someone at IFF. Maybe that dashing Mr. Steadman."

Amanda choked on her coffee and Dotty looked at her triumphantly.

"Aha!" she exclaimed, and Amanda made an attempt to shake her head while still coughing and patting her own chest.

"You can deny it all you want but one of these days I'm just going to ask Mr. Steadman himself."

"You will do no such thing!" Amanda said vehemently, setting her coffee down on the table before she'd spill it on herself.

She felt her face flush at the mere thought of her mother confronting Lee about a possible relationship between the two of them. She had already embarrassed herself enough the morning after their night in the swamp. She had opened a door for him and he hadn't made a single effort to use it since. She wasn't going to go there again. It was up to Lee now, not her. And most definitely not her mother!

"Well, why not?" Dotty asked innocently. "He's so handsome and kind. I think he'd be a great catch."

Amanda sighed again and decided to be honest with her mother for once.

"Mother, he has a new girl on his arm each weekend. He's not interested in a suburban housewife with two kids. We just work together, that's all."

"Well, he doesn't know what he's missing out on," Dotty declared.

"Mother …"

"It's true, Amanda. You're a very beautiful woman and there's nothing wrong with giving a man some stability. At his age, maybe that's what he should be looking for."

That made Amanda laugh out loud.

"At his age? What does that even mean?" she chuckled.

"Well," Dotty shrugged. "He's probably closer to forty than thirty by now, and so are you."

"Only just," Amanda countered.

"I'm just saying, if the man wants to start a family, he shouldn't wait very much longer."

...

And then suddenly, everything changed.

The doorbell rang, followed by a few loud, very impatient bangs on the door.

"Yeah yeah, hold your horses," Amanda mumbled as she stood up to go to the door.

She was glad that their uncomfortable conversation had been cut short, but she didn't appreciate the ruckus. She opened the front door and before she could even utter a word, Lee Stetson came storming in, gun in hand, and walked straight into the living room.

"Lee!" Amanda yelled, following on his heels. "What are you doing?!"

Dotty jumped to her feet when she saw her daughter's handsome, yet currently quite alarming coworker come in. Why on earth did that man have a gun in his hand?

"Where are the boys?" Lee barked.

"Ah … upstairs," Dotty gasped, never taking her eyes off the weapon in Mr. Steadman's hand.

"Lee!" Amanda called again, and then he finally turned to look at her.

She saw great concern in his eyes and he seemed to scan her body to make sure she was alright before he finally answered,

"Your family and this address have been compromised."

…

The boys had rushed down the stairs, attracted by all the commotion in the house, and Lee tucked his gun away quickly. He was satisfied that the family was safe for now, but measures had to be taken quickly to make sure they stayed that way. But first, he needed to make Amanda understand why he was blowing their covers to smithereens.

Dotty wanted answers too and he understood that. He couldn't suppress a small smile when he watched Amanda expertly calm her mother down before she ducked in the kitchen with him.

Amanda may have seemed to compose herself on the outside, but on the inside she was reeling. Lee was destroying their carefully crafted charade in one fell swoop and she didn't know what to think of it. And what did he mean, that her family had been compromised?

"You better explain yourself, and fast Mister!" she hurled at Lee. "What makes you think you can barge in here and point a gun at my mother!"

"I didn't point it at your mother," Lee huffed. "Just … just hear me out, alright?"

"Maybe you should start at the beginning. That's usually a good place to start," Amanda rambled. "And maybe you should have done that in the first place. Now my family is all upset and frankly, so am I!"

She was counting on Lee to be calm and reasonable now, and reassure her. But that wasn't what she was seeing in his eyes at all when he reached for her and rubbed her upper arms.

"Amanda, I'm sorry. I let my concern get the best of me. It's just that …"

He scrubbed a hand down his face and took a deep breath. This wasn't going to go over well.

"I've been received threats for a while now, Amanda."

"What?!"

"From a Russian group that we think is targeting our agency."

"Why wasn't I notified of this, Lee? And if they're threatening _you_, why didn't _you _tell me?" Amanda asked, punching his chest with her index finger each time she said 'you'.

"I …"

He didn't want to say that her security clearance simply didn't allow it. They were partners and friends and maybe he should have told her sooner. But there was no way around telling her now, so he continued as he stepped away from her and began to pace restlessly.

"We didn't see the need to alarm everyone at first. I mean, the Russians have been on to several of us for a while now, including you. But then we got these pictures at the bureau. We intercepted a few packages from the KGB and we found pictures. We're pretty sure we were supposed to find them."

"Pictures of what, Lee? You're beginning to scare me."

Lee seemed so agitated; so worried, and it was contagious.

"Photos. Of you. Of us. And of your mother and the boys."

He reached inside his jacket then and pulled out a small stack of photos.

"Look."

Amanda took the photos from his hand and flipped through them quickly before spreading them out on the kitchen counter. They were indeed of her, her family and of her with Lee, in black and white and taken from some distance, but they were still very recognizable.

"Who took these?" she asked, studying a picture of her and Lee where they were standing close together, smiling at each other, her hand resting on Lee's arm.

"The KGB, or someone working for them. Amanda, they're onto us. To you. They know I'm an agent. And they know who you are and who your family is, and that you're working for us and they're threatening to kill you all if I don't work with them."

"Oh my gosh."

"Yeah, I know," Lee nodded.

While both he and Amanda had been recognized by the KGB before, they had never gone after her family before. Until now.

They stood together in silence for a few moments and then Amanda said softly,

"Lee?"

Lee looked at her and she told him with wide eyes,

"I'm scared."

Lee took her hands in his own and rubbed the backs of her hands gently with his thumbs.

"I know, Amanda."

"This isn't just about me anymore. My boys …"

She let out a shuddering sigh and Lee had to suppress the urge to pull her close to him. He had never wanted this for Amanda or her family. And while Amanda had always maintained she knew the risks, he didn't think she really had understood; until now. This was the exact reason why most of the operatives at the agency didn't have a family. They knew that any adversary would try to find their weak spots, and family definitely was exactly that. And while this wasn't his own family, he did feel responsible for it. He tried not to think too deeply about why he felt that way, but he was determined to act on that feeling and get the entire family out of harm's way as quickly as possible.

"We have to get you out of here. All of you. Tonight," Lee told Amanda.

"But where will we go? And for how long? You said they know where we live."

Panic was rising in Amanda's voice and Lee grabbed her hands a little tighter.

"A place has already been arranged. I'm here to take you there."

"Now?"

"Yeah, now. We can't afford to wait. I have an unmarked van outside and an escort out of town."

Amanda opened her mouth again but no sound came out and she turned away from him to look around her, as if trying to decide what to bring.

"What about the house? What about our things? I mean …"

Her lower lip began to tremble and Lee wished he could turn back time to prevent this life-changing turn of events for the King family.

"We will have to explain things to the others first," Lee reminded her, "and then you will have to pack."

…

The silence in the living room was deafening after Lee and Amanda dropped the news of their imminent departure, as well as the reason why they had to leave immediately.

And then the room erupted and everyone started talking simultaneously.

"Mom, are you saying you're a spy?!" Philip exclaimed.

"And Mr. Steadman too?" Jamie added.

The boys were stunned, but there was also a bit of pride in their eyes, and excitement.

"Amanda, I can't believe this," Dotty said. "This is all a big joke, right? You made this all up together with Mr. Steadman to get back at me; to get a rise out of me for all my wild theories about why you were gone so often. Right?"

"It's not a joke, Mrs. West," Lee assured her. "And the name's Stetson. I'm a federal agent, and your daughter is my partner. She's an agent in training."

"It's the truth, mother. I'm sorry I could never tell you but that's the point of being a secret agent. It has to be a secret."

"Cool!" "This is awesome!" the boys said almost simultaneously. "Way to go mom!"

"Well, it's not so awesome that the KGB is after us, boys," Amanda responded as calmly as she could manage. "So it's very important that we now do exactly what Mr. Stetson says."

"I still don't believe any of this," Dotty muttered, but when both Lee and Amanda continued to urge her to pack her bags, she finally stood up to get everyone's suitcases.

"But we are going to have a long talk about this before this day is over, young lady," she told Amanda sternly before trudging up the stairs.

Amanda and Lee looked at each other and Lee blew out a breath while Amanda sighed.

"I'd better go help the boys."

"Yeah. Go on up. I'll wait here," Lee said.

Once Amanda had gone upstairs as well, Lee plopped down on the couch and closed his eyes. It still all felt like a bad dream to him so he could only imagine how Amanda and her family were feeling. He wasn't sure if they could ever return home, or even to Arlington. They needed to find out who knew about the family first. Chances were that the KGB had had their sights on Amanda for a while now, after finding out he had obtained sensitive information about several KGB operations in the US. He felt responsible. He _was _responsible. He hadn't even told Amanda yet that the people who were making the threats, assumed that they were lovers. He was going to do whatever it took to keep Amanda and her loved ones safe. He wondered briefly about Amanda's ex-husband, Joe King. But they could worry about him later. The one thing on his mind right now was to get the five of them to safety, himself included.

...

"Nobody except Billy knows where we're going," Lee told Amanda once they were underway, all their luggage stacked up in the back of the old van Lee had brought. After they had crossed the Arlington county line safely without being followed, their escort had left the 66 and they were on their own now.

"Not even Francine?"

"Not even Francine."

"She's not going to like being kept out of the loop again," Amanda mused, and Lee chuckled.

"Who are Billy and Francine?" Dotty piped up from the backseat, squished between her two grandsons.

"Our section chief and a fellow agent," Lee explained.

"A fellow agent. Of _course_. A fellow agent," Dotty said emphatically.

"I'm sorry mother," Amanda apologized again. "It's been so hard keeping the truth from you. You know I'm a horrible liar because I hate lying so much."

"And I used to be able to see right through you," Dotty complained. "How long has this been going on anyway?"

Lee and Amanda looked at each other, both trying to remember how long they had been working together now.

"Well, I'd say about two and a half years," Lee said.

"Two years and five months," Amanda corrected him.

"And ten days," Lee added softly, and the fact that he'd been keeping count like she had and the look in his eyes made her stomach flutter.

She glanced behind her and caught her mother just when Dotty opened her mouth to say something. Amanda quickly put up an index finger to silence her mother. She shook her head slowly and hoped that the look in her eyes was threatening enough to shut her mother up. It meant something to her that Lee would remember to the day when they had first started working together, but she didn't need her mother making a comment about it to him.

Both women had a brief wordless conversation with each other, their faces communicating exactly where they stood, and Amanda knew she would have to watch her mother closely if Lee was going to be around for a while. _Was _he going to be around for a while?

"Lee?"

"Yes?"

"This place where you're taking us … will you be staying there too?" Amanda asked him.

"For the time being, Billy wants all of us off the grid, including me. So yes, I'm afraid you're stuck with me for a while, Amanda."

"Oww, that's not a burden Lee," she told him reassuringly, patting his arm. "I've always said it would be good for you to spend some time with normal people."

They both heard Dotty let out a huff in the backseat and glanced at each other, both trying to suppress a knowing smile.

Lee loved how Amanda's dark eyes sparkled when they shared an inside joke. She often looked so innocent, naive even, but there was a very intelligent as well as funny woman hidden behind that beautiful, innocent face. And if he was completely honest with himself, he had come to enjoy her nurturing, homemaking side a lot. While he still pretended to be a man of the world, going from restaurant to club and back again, he was finding that the times he could truly relax these days, were the quiet moments with Amanda. It didn't matter if they were at her place or his, at a hotel on a case or even at the Q bureau, as long as it was just the two of them. Wel, the two of them when they were not in immediate danger. Despite the unsettling circumstances, part of him actually looked forward to spending some time with her and her family at the cabin.

He expected Dotty to adjust soon. He wasn't sure about Amanda's sons though. For now, they were impressed with all the secrecy and intrigue, not realizing yet that they had just been ripped away from everything that was familiar to them for a long time; possibly forever. He decided that he would try to talk to the boys soon. It was the least he could do for them.

"So, where _are _we going?" Amanda asked him.

"A cabin in the woods in West-Virginia, about a two hour drive from here. It's near a little town called Romney. We're pretty sure that there hasn't ever been a spy to Romney and we should be safe there. The agency owns the cabin under a different name and it's at a small lake that isn't on any map, it's that secluded. The only connection we'll have to DC will be this car phone," he said, pointing at the clearly newly installed device, that really stood out in the old van.

"Isn't that a little conspicuous?" Amanda asked.

"Sure is. So we're parking the van at the cabin and we'll use a different car to get to town. It's already there."

Amanda wondered if Lee had ever spent time at this cabin before but she didn't want to ask. If he'd ever taken any of his lady friends there, she didn't really want to know. She took a deep breath and breathed it out slowly. She missed her home already. Would they ever see it again?

…

**To be continued**


	2. Chapter 2: The Cabin

**2\. The Cabin**

The boys had been unusually quiet but by the time they were almost at their destination, Philip piped up.

"Mom?"

"Yes Philip."

"Why did you tell us to bring all of our school things along?"

"Well, we don't know how long we will have to stay at the cabin, and I don't want you to fall behind with your school work."

"Will we be going to school there?" Jamie asked.

Amanda looked at Lee. She hadn't really thought that far ahead, simply planning to homeschool the boys for the time being. But what if they couldn't go back home for an extended period of time?

The look Lee gave her didn't give her much answers and Amanda simply told the boys the truth, that she didn't know that yet.

"Until we know who is behind the threats and how many KGB groups are involved, we can't be sure," Lee told them curtly.

Amanda reached behind her to squeeze Jamie's knee. She knew Lee didn't mean to be insensitive; he simply wasn't used to talking to children.

"Honey, our team is all over this. I'm sure they'll get it all sorted out quickly," she said with much more confidence than she was feeling. "Meanwhile, we'll be keeping up with your schoolwork and have a little vacation while we're at the cabin. We can even do some exploring. I brought all your stuff from the Junior Trailblazers with me."

"Cool!" both boys said, and Lee couldn't help but smile. Amanda really was a great mother.

Meanwhile, Dotty just seemed to be studying her daughter and the handsome man in the driver's seat silently.

The final part of their drive was very bumpy. The road they were on could barely be called a road, and the van clearly wasn't built for such rough terrain. Lee's jaw was clenched and Amanda could see the muscles in his arms strain from the effort underneath his shirt. They were all quiet now, not wanting to distract him. By the time they reached a clearing in the woods and spotted the cabin, they had slowed down to a crawl. Amanda was relieved to see that the extra car they would have at their disposal, was a Jeep.

Lee breathed a sigh of relief when he could finally stop the van, parking it next to the Jeep. His neck and shoulders were killing him after driving for almost three hours straight. The last part of the trip had slowed them down much more than he had anticipated and it was already past 10pm.

They all got out of the van and decided to check out the cabin first before unloading their luggage. The women made a run for the bathroom and Lee chuckled when he found a very impatient Dotty tapping her foot in front of the bathroom door. Amanda had won. The boys were checking out the bedrooms and Philip quickly called dibs on one of the two single beds in one of the bedrooms. The other bedroom held a Queen-sized bed and they were _not _going to share a bed, Philp declared.

Lee went in search of the light switches in the kitchen and decided to make everyone some coffee. Well, the adults. What should he offer the boys? He wasn't used to children at all. He was relieved when Amanda came out of the bathroom and joined him. She immediately started opening the refrigerator and all the cupboards to see what was in them and Lee observed her with an amused smile. When she caught him smiling, she explained,

"I gotta know what I need to get in town in the morning."

"Of course. We only have a few basic things here, provided by the agency. Listen, Amanda. I was going to make us some coffee before we start unpacking but I'm guessing the boys don't drink coffee?"

Amanda chuckled.

"No, I doubt they'd like that. And even if they did, I wouldn't give them any at this hour. They'd never go to sleep. Better find some tea or milk for them."

"Gotcha."

Amanda wandered off to the bedrooms and chatted with the boys for a while. They wanted to get their suitcases and she helped them lug them into their room. They would have to share the built-in closet but for now, she just told them to dig out their toothbrushes and pajamas. They would sort everything out in the morning. Then, she walked into the master bedroom. There was one bed in there and it suddenly dawned on her that they were one bedroom short. She walked back to the kitchen and Lee proudly held out a cup of coffee.

"Here you go."

"Thanks," she said, taking the cup from him.

She took the coffee with her and sat down on the comfortable couch, and finally took in her surroundings. The cabin was of a decent size and the sitting area and the dining area were actually in the same space. The kitchen counter as well as the couch formed natural dividers between the two areas and the living room had a fireplace. There was a dining table with six chairs in the dining area, as well as an antique bookcase against the wall. A hallway in the middle of the cabin, across from the front door, led to the bathroom on the right behind the kitchen, and a laundry room on the left behind the living room. The two bedrooms were next to each other across the hallway. Amanda thought that the veranda wrapped around the entire cabin, but she would have to check in the morning. It was too dark now to see anything outside.

Dotty joined her daughter on the couch and gave Lee a tired smile when he handed her a cup of coffee too. He sat down as well, choosing one of the two large armchairs in the room, which were across from each other, close to the fireplace. Amanda couldn't help thinking that that was indeed the place to sit for the man in the house. The boys came bounding into the room in their pajamas and Amanda looked expectantly at Lee. Wasn't he going to fix them something to drink?

"Ah, boys. There's some milk for you in the kitchen," Lee said.

"You haven't brushed your teeth yet, have you?" Amanda checked.

"No mom. We couldn't find any toothpaste," Philip answered.

"Oh, that's right. I put it in _my _suitcase," Amanda remembered. "Just drink up first, and I'll get it for you in a minute."

The boys each grabbed a glass of milk and joined their mother and grandmother on the couch. The adults waited patiently until the children were ready to go to bed. The boys were too tired to ask them any more questions, and after Lee had helped the women get their luggage inside so Amanda could find the toothpaste, they finally went to bed. Amanda knew they might have a restless night so she left their door ajar, just in case. When she returned to the living room, her mother was sitting up straight and she knew that she and Lee had a lot to answer for. She glanced at Lee, who raised his eyebrows and then gave her a half smile and a shrug. There was no way around this conversation so they'd better do it right away.

...

By the time they had finished explaining everything, Dotty bowed her head in acceptance.

"So you never really had a pet and plant service?" she asked Amanda without looking up.

"No mother."

"And IFF is a cover company for secret agents."

"For our agency, yes, Mrs. West."

She looked up then, at her daughter's coworker.

"Oh please, Lee. Call me Dotty. We're going to be stuck with each other for a while anyway so let's not keep it so formal."

"Alright. Dotty. I'm sorry we had to keep all of this from you, but it was for your own safely."

"Well, that's pretty obvious now. I'll try to understand."

She looked at Amanda and sighed again.

"I knew something was going on with you, but I never could have guessed this."

She turned her attention back to Lee and continued,

"Do you know that all this time, I was actually thinking that my daughter …"

"Mother! Let's not go into all your wild theories right now, shall we?" Amanda interrupted quickly. She had an idea what her mother was going to say next, and she didn't want Lee to hear it.

"Oh no. Please, I'm interested," Lee said, and when Amanda glared at him, he just gave her a charming smile. "We can learn from this, Amanda. How to better protect our covers."

"That's ridiculous Lee," Amanda huffed. "My mother always has the wildest theories. All you'll learn from those is what a wild imagination she has."

Amanda saw her mother make a reassuring gesture at Lee and she knew that Dotty was still planning on telling him that she thought at one point that they were having an affair. She didn't want that awkwardness between her and Lee again. He wasn't interested in a woman like her and she wasn't going to throw herself at him. They were partners and friends and that would have to be enough.

Lee stood up and both women followed him with their eyes when he walked back to the kitchen.

"Nice buns," Dotty whispered and Amanda punched her mother in the arm.

"Oh shush mother!" Amanda hissed. "He could be your son!"

"Or my son-in-law," Dotty said pointedly, making Amanda ball her hands into fists and scrunch up her face in annoyance.

"Amanda, did you spot any other drinks in the cupboards. Some wine maybe?" Lee asked her from the kitchen.

"No. No, I don't think so."

Amanda jumped up, happy to get away from her mother for a bit, and joined Lee in the kitchen. They checked the fridge together and found a six-pack of beers. It would have to do for now, but wine was added to tomorrow's grocery list.

"Lee?" Amanda asked softly while they grabbed a few glasses.

"Yeah."

"There's not enough beds in this cabin for all of us."

They both glanced at Dotty, but her back was still turned to the kitchen and she didn't seem to be listening.

"You and your mother will take the master bedroom and I'll sleep on the couch," Lee said, equally softly.

"I thought the senior agent always got the bed," Amanda quipped, still keeping her voice down.

Lee chuckled.

"You're suggesting we put your mother on the couch?"

He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Amanda slapped his chest.

"Oh shut up."

"Seriously Amanda. I'll take the couch. The living room is a good place to keep watch anyway. It's not a problem."

"Are you sure?" Amanda questioned one more time.

Her eyes widened when Lee told her,

"Well, if it's not comfortable, I can always trade places with Dotty."

Amanda's mouth dropped open but no sound came out, and Lee laughed out loud at her obvious shock. She knew he was joking but still. To even bring up the possibility - _twice… _she hadn't expected it.

Lee walked back over to Dotty and offered her a can of beer and a glass. The older woman thanked him and took it from him but complained that there wasn't anything stronger in the house. She needed it to deal with all these shocking revelations. When Lee promised her they'd get a selection of fine wine and other alcoholic beverages into the cabin soon, she patted him on the arm and thanked him again.

After they had all finished their beers, the women got ready to go to bed while Lee finally retrieved his own luggage from the van and locked the cabin up for the night. He would use the laundry room to store his belongings and would ask Amanda in the morning if the one suit and dress shirt he'd brought along could hang in the closet in the master bedroom. He spotted an ironing board in the corner of the laundry room and smiled. As long as Amanda was around, he wouldn't have to worry about walking around in wrinkled clothes. Not that he couldn't iron his own clothes, but he just knew she would want to do it for him. That was just the kind of woman she was and despite the circumstances and the threat, he was glad to be here with her. Billy must have noticed that he hadn't put up much of a fight when he had ordered him to leave for the cabin along with the family. He wanted to keep them safe, that was his first priority. But keeping them close was a very close second.

…

Waking up in a strange place had a different effect on all of them. Lee was in full agent mode while Amanda was mostly concerned with giving her sons as much normalcy as possible under the circumstances. The boys were still tired but accepted their usual morning routine without question. The only one who wasn't her normal self, was Dotty. Lee and Amanda didn't blame her. Over the years, they had both become used to unexpected changes and had learned to adapt. They had woken up in much weirder places than a cabin in the woods of West-Virginia. The boys weren't aware enough yet of the situation but Dotty was, and despite the explanations they had given her, Amanda suspected that she still felt deceived.

She wanted to drive to town with her mother so they could talk some more privately, but Lee insisted that he and Amanda should be the ones to check out the town first. They were agents after all. Those words filled her with a sense of pride. Lee didn't often refer to her as an agent but it had been _his _idea to bring her on board officially, so he must think she had what it took after all. By the time they were ready to leave, Dotty had composed an extensive grocery list.

"Who's going to pay for all of this?" Amanda asked Lee as they got into the Jeep.

"The agency of course. They provided us with a debit card as well as a credit card under our cover names."

"Cover names? So who are we?" Amanda asked.

"I am Lee Dunkirk, and you are my wife Amanda," Lee said casually as he turned the Jeep so they could get going.

"Dunkirk?"

Amanda was surprised. Not Samson or Steadman or anything resembling Stetson this time?

"Yeah. In case the new identity isn't as temporary as we hope."

"What?"

Lee tried to keep sounding casual but he knew it was unnerving to think about the possibility that they might never be able to return to their old lives.

"We just can't be sure, Amanda. So the agency prepared this move the same way they arrange a complete relocation in the witness protection program."

Amanda was speechless, if only for a few minutes, and Lee suspected it had to do with the rough terrain they were on now as much as what he'd said. They had to hold on tight or they'd bounce all around the car. It would give Amanda some time to let his words sink in. After a few minutes, her oddly logical mind had finished processing the information, and out came her conclusion.

"So I could be posing as your wife indefinitely."

He chuckled and shook his head. _That _was the first thing she'd think of? Not that it hadn't crossed his mind, of course. His dating days would definitely be over. Then again, he hadn't really been dating that much over the past year anyway. He'd been too busy, he told himself. Yeah, that was it. Because what else could it be, right?

"I thought that the first thing you'd bring up was missing your old life. You know, friends, school, your volunteer work," Lee remarked, glancing at his companion.

He saw a sweet smile light up her face and although she wasn't looking at him, he could imagine the soft look in her eyes when she told him,

"Oh no. That's alright. I have everyone I love right here with me. Everything else can be replaced."

When Lee didn't respond to her words right away, Amanda realized what she'd just said, as well as how it could be interpreted. She turned her head to look at Lee, but he was concentrating on the bumpy road that would soon lead them to the South Branch River Road. It had been true though, that everyone she truly cared about was with her here at the cabin. Her family and Lee. She couldn't believe Billy had ordered his relocation along with theirs. Agents knew the risks and never fled.

"Lee?"

"Hmm?"

Lee steered the Jeep onto the road and finally leaned back into his seat. Driving would be much easier from here on.

"Why did Billy send you along with us?"

"For protection," Lee answered without missing a beat.

"But nobody knows who we are and why we're here."

"Just the same, he wasn't going to send you off on your own."

"And you don't mind? I mean, you're being pulled out of your normal routine too. There's not much spy work for you to do here in the woods or in Romney."

Lee smiled. She was right of course.

"I'm going to turn into a normal person at last," he joked and Amanda slapped his shoulder playfully.

"You're gonna be bored out of your skull."

"Ah, I don't know. If I do get bored, we'll just have to think of ways to spice things up a little then, won't we?"

Lee turned his head to wink at her and Amanda felt her cheeks flush instantly.

"Well, whatever you're insinuating, you can just put it out of your head, Mister!" she huffed.

"That's no way to talk to your husband, darling," Lee joked and he laughed to himself when he heard her let out a very annoyed, muffled "oooow," before turning away from him to look out of the side window of the Jeep.

…

**To be continued  
**


	3. Chapter 3: Settling in

**3\. Settling in**

Romney was a charming little city. They stood out a little of course, as total strangers, but not as much as they might have feared. The people running the local stores and food market were used to tourists from the various campsites and cabins in the area and were very helpful. They managed to get all the groceries they needed and then some, and when they were finished loading everything into the back of the Jeep, Amanda remarked that they had enough to hole up in the cabin for weeks.

"That's the idea," Lee told her. "We're going to try to have a normal-looking life here, but if we ever need to stay out of sight, it will be good to have reserves."

"Right. Of course. But how will we keep it all fresh?"

"We have a large freezer."

"Where?" Amanda asked.

She didn't remember seeing a freezer at all, just the fridge in the kitchen. It was big, but not that big. She would have to check out the cabin and its surroundings better now that it was light again. Lee explained that there was an extra storage room on one side of the cabin that could only be accessed from outside. It held some fishing and gardening equipment, snow gear, garden furniture and the big freezer.

When they got back to the cabin, Dotty and the boys were busy unpacking their clothes and putting them in their closets. Dotty was tending to Amanda's clothes as well and happily put Lee's suit and shirt in Amanda's side of their closet. She gave her daughter a knowing smile and Amanda rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to make some coffee," she announced, leaving her mother to finish unpacking.

After putting the coffee maker to work, she checked on the boys. She wasn't going to bother them with school work on the first day but wanted their school things to be put away neatly in the bookcase in the dining area. Once they were all finally settled in, Amanda served them coffee and cake, with lemonade for the boys. She was planning on baking her own cakes again soon and had already stocked up on ingredients, but they had bought some cake and cookies to tie them over for a few days.

Lee had put away all their groceries and looked around the cabin contently. They were all set now for a prolonged stay and he could finally relax. Amanda had been right, there wouldn't be a lot of spy work for him here and he wondered if he wouldn't get bored after all. He only had to check in with Billy once every 48 hours after all. His eyes drifted to Amanda, who was talking quietly with Jamie. He knew for a fact that Amanda was someone who never got bored. She always had energy to think of something to do. Aside from a collection of books, she'd even insisted on buying a few board games in Romney. He had placed them on the dinner table, not knowing where she'd want them, and when Philip spotted the games, he picked out a game right away. Ludo.

Amanda instantly looked at Lee, a sparkle in her eyes. It was as if she was looking right through him and just _knew _he hated that game. He wasn't a very good loser and she knew it. But neither was she and he was kind of looking forward to the challenge.

"You know what?" Amanda suggested. "It's a beautiful day and I think we should go out after lunch and explore a little. Then we can sit down to play some games after dark. How does that sound?"

The boys thought it was a great idea and Lee even felt himself get slightly enthused. Maybe he wouldn't get bored after all; not while Amanda was around. His mind instantly took a sidestep he was trying to avoid and he slapped himself mentally. No matter how funny it was to make jokes about it just to see her blush, he couldn't see Amanda take a real interest in a guy like him. She was too good for him; too pure. No matter how much she seemed to care about him, he shouldn't read more into that. She'd never go for a player like him; they were just too different.

…

They all had fun in the woods, and circled the entire lake to check out the vegetation around it and basically map out the lake. It wasn't very big and they found out that they had it completely to themselves. There were no other cabins nearby. Amanda shared her vast Trailblazer knowledge with the group and her sons began to chime in with what they had learned so far during their time with the boy scouts. Dotty just watched her loved ones and glanced at the only stranger in the group from time to time. Lee seemed to feel right at home with them; well, with Amanda mostly. Those two interacted with each other so naturally, as if they had known each other forever. She had never seen her so at ease around Dean. Maybe not even around Joe. Dotty often heard Amanda's loud, melodious laugh echo between the trees and it was like music to her ears. She wanted her daughter to be happy and to have some excitement in her life. Never in a million years could she have guessed how much excitement had fallen into Amanda's lap over the past few years though. A secret agent! Her friends would never believe them if she told them. Not her little girl. Not her Amanda! But she knew she could never tell them. It had to remain a secret.

Dotty sighed and then picked up the pace when Jamie called out to her that he'd found a fascinating bug or something.

While the boys and their grandmother went in search of more forest dwellers, Lee stood next to Amanda as she looked out over the lake. She seemed to be deep in thought and he wondered what she was thinking. When she sensed him next to her, she snapped out of it and smiled at him, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes this time. Lee reached out and put a hand on her lower back reassuringly. She had been very brave when they had suddenly had to leave their home, but it must be starting to sink in now.

"Are you okay?" he asked her and Amanda looked away.

She sighed and her shoulders sagged a little.

"Yeah, I guess so. I was just thinking this would be such a lovely place to spend a vacation. But we're not _on _vacation."

"I'm sorry, Amanda." He moved his arm up to wrap it around her shoulders and squeezed her shoulder. "You keep getting dragged into trouble because of me."

"Not because of you, Lee. We've had this conversation before. It's because of the job and I _chose _to do this job, remember? Just like you."

Lee smiled.

"And you're getting to be damned good at it too," he told her, and he meant it.

She'd been the most unlikely candidate to ever become an agent, let alone his partner, but as it turned out, she was absolutely perfect for him. To _work _with him, he added to his own thoughts quickly, almost as if she could hear him think.

"Oh Lee. You're just saying that to make me feel better," Amanda said, trying to brush off the compliment, but Lee insisted,

"No. It's true Amanda. You're resourceful and you can think on your feet. And although it took me a while to get used to it, you _do _have a logical mind. You've gotten me out of a tight spot more than once."

"That's sweet of you to say, Lee," Amanda said with a half smile. "But I think you've gotten me out of a lot more tight spots than the other way around."

"Maybe so, but that doesn't mean you're doing a bad job. You know that, right?"

Amanda wiggled her head and Lee released his hold on her shoulder.

"Yeah. I guess I'm getting the hang of it. Thank you, Lee."

Lee smiled at her and then made an inviting gesture from her to the overgrown trail they'd been following around the lake.

"Well, lead the way, Trailblazer. Your troops are awaiting instructions."

A wide smile lit up Amanda's face then and Lee was content. He didn't want her to be sad or worried. They had to keep believing that they hadn't really been relocated permanently. And meanwhile, they should just try to enjoy their stay here, as if it _was _a vacation. If they had to stay in their new identities as a married couple … well, that was another thing altogether. Lee watched Amanda as she led their little group along the lake and back to the cabin, and took in her slender form. She really was a good scout and felt right at home in the woods. Anyone who'd see her now, wouldn't know how stunning she could be at an embassy party or another official function. She could adapt to anything, just like a real spy, and he was proud of her. She was practical and strong, and at the same time she was incredibly feminine and beautiful. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be 'married' to her for a while ...

…

Back at the cabin, Dotty made everyone some hot cocoa. It wasn't really cold outside for early March, but it wasn't spring yet either and they had been outside for a long time. Amanda glanced at Lee a few times from her spot in the second armchair when they were all sitting together. She wasn't used to seeing him just sitting. He was always doing something; either coming or going, and when he _was _sitting, he was usually plotting something. But he seemed content for now, sipping his hot cocoa and listening to mother and the boys chatting about all the bugs they had seen. When his eyes landed on her, she looked away as if she'd been caught. _Well, that's a silly thought,_ she thought to herself. _I wasn't doing anything. _She looked at Lee again and found him still watching her, a small smile playing on his lips. She cocked her head and looked at him questioningly, but Lee just smiled again and then focused on Dotty, who was explaining to the boys that they could definitely not set up a bug farm inside the cabin.

Amanda decided that it was time to get dinner started and moved to the kitchen. It was nice to be able to see the family while she busied herself with dinner. The cabin was much smaller than her house, and the kitchen was far more modest than what she was used to, but everything she needed was there and so she got to work. The boys began bickering a little on the couch and Amanda realized for the first time that they didn't have a TV at the cabin. She preferred to read instead of watch TV, but mother loved to dream away when a romantic movie was on, and it was a nice distraction for the boys, who usually watched some TV after dinner and before going to bed. Dotty tried to get the boys to settle down again but sure enough, Jamie began to whine that he was bored.

"We just got back inside after a long walk. How can you be bored already?" Dotty asked.

"I wanna watch TV."

Dotty glanced at Amanda across the kitchen counter and she pulled her shoulders up. There was no TV so they would have to think of something else.

And then Lee spoke up.

"Hey guys, listen. You wanna hear a story about one of my trips to Europe when I had to catch a bad guy?"

Amanda's eyebrows shot up and she stared at Lee. She was very surprised at his suggestion, but for some reason it also made her feel happy inside that Lee was making an effort for the boys. Even her mother sat up to listen to Lee's tale and Amanda beamed at Lee when he looked at her. And then he began to tell his story.

…

The family went through their normal dinner routine and afterwards the boys set up the game on the dinner table.

"There's only four colors and there's five of us," Jamie remarked.

"Oh, that's okay honey. I don't really have to play. I can just watch," Amanda called from the kitchen, where she and Lee were finishing up doing the dishes.

"Oho, right," Lee chimed in, chuckling. "You just don't want to get beaten."

"What?" Amanda asked incredulously.

"You heard me."

She grinned at him.

"I have never shied away from a good game of Ludo."

"Amanda and I can play together," Dotty suggested but all the men agreed that that wouldn't be fair.

"Then I will watch. I'm not part of the family after all," Lee offered.

"Oh no! You challenged me, so you're playing!" Amanda said, wagging her finger at him.

Lee was standing very close to her when he smiled at her and Amanda had to look away. The look in his eyes hit her like that sometimes and she quickly focused on the last dishes.

Lee watched her profile and he swore Amanda was suddenly blushing. Must be the hot water in the sink, he reasoned but part of him knew better. He hadn't meant to fluster her; they were both just very competitive. Finally, it was decided that they would throw the die and the one who rolled the lowest number would be the first to watch. They could switch it up later, depending on how long it took to finish a game.

Lee was kind of disappointed when it was Amanda who rolled a two, the lowest number, but they all had a lot of fun anyway. Amanda sat down to his right at the head of the table and during the game, she cheered for her boys. Suddenly, Lee didn't even mind that his tokens kept being knocked off the board. It made Philip happy that he was in the lead, and that made Amanda happy. Philip won the first game in a landslide, and instead of competing for second place, they decided to start a new game, so Amanda could play as well. Dotty would bow out, because she hadn't even gotten one piece to the finish.

Dotty watched her daughter and her _fellow agent_ as the new game progressed. They were cheering for the boys but were definitely competing with each other. They laughed a lot and she thought again that she couldn't remember Amanda being this comfortable with a man before. And she didn't miss the tenderness in his hazel eyes either, when he looked at Amanda while she wasn't paying attention to him.

When Lee saw Dotty looking at him, he cleared his throat nervously and almost seemed shy. He quickly focused on retrieving the die from Jamie, who had just knocked one of Philip's tokens off the board.

"Good for you, Jamie!" Amanda cheered. "Philip doesn't have to win twice."

"Why not? I'm the king of Ludo!" Philip declared.

And sure enough, Philip ended up winning the second game as well, followed very closely by Amanda.

"I beat you," she told Lee triumphantly, bumping her shoulder against his.

"This isn't over," he countered. "I could still have caught up."

"Sure Lee. Of course you could have," Amanda answered sweetly as she stood up, playful sarcasm dripping from her words.

"Yeah. I could have," Lee huffed indignantly, and Dotty couldn't help grinning along with Amanda.

They let the men put the game back in the box while they fixed the boys their final glass of milk of the day. Once they had it in front of them on the table, Jamie asked Lee if he would tell them another story, for lack of a TV show to watch. He knew he had to mind his language and maybe not talk about people dying too much, but he actually enjoyed sharing his experiences with these two young boys. Their amazed reactions made him feel like he had actually made a difference in the world. Not that he had doubts about that, but it was nice to get some confirmation from regular Americans; the people he was actually working to keep safe. He finished up with telling them about a case their mother had worked on with him, and he could see that the boys' admiration for their mother was growing by the minute.

"Oh well, I was just doing what I felt was the most logical thing to do," Amanda said, waving off the praise.

"And her logic saved my life," Lee stressed, waving his finger in the air. "So you better listen to your mother boys. She knows what she's talking about."

"And right now, she's saying it's time for bed!" Amanda announced. "Even top spies need their rest. Now come on, off you go."

It tampered their good spirits a bit, but the boys stood up to get ready anyway.

"And tomorrow, we're hitting the books."

"Oh mom."

"Yes, we are. Bright and early so go to sleep right away, alright?"

"Okay," the boys muttered.

They kissed Amanda and Dotty on the cheek, greeted Lee politely and as they walked off to go to the bathroom, Jamie turned to wave at Lee.

"Good night, Lee."

"Goodnight kiddo," Lee said, a little surprised.

Amanda smiled warmly at him, and Lee chuckled nervously. She knew he wasn't completely at ease with her boys yet, but that was because they all didn't really know each other yet, she told herself. Her youngest seemed taken with the federal agent though, and that made her happy. And from the looks of it, it didn't leave Lee completely unaffected either. She thought once again that she had been right all along. The exposure to 'normal people' like them was absolutely good for Lee. And on a slightly more selfish note, she was very glad to have him here as well.

...

**To be continued**


	4. Chapter 4: Family routine

**4\. Family routine**

After the children had gone to bed, the adults moved to the sitting area. Lee suggested lighting up the fireplace, and he went outside to fetch a few logs while Dotty poured them all a glass of red wine.

"I love a man with a taste for wine," she mused and Amanda wondered how many times she could roll her eyes at comments like that from her mother.

When Lee returned, Amanda helped him put the logs in the fireplace, having decided to simply ignore her mother's innuendo completely. Dotty had been on her case constantly when she'd been dating Dean to convince her to tie the knot with him and Amanda feared that Lee was going to be her next target for quite a while. Eventually, she would hopefully see that they weren't compatible at all. Because they weren't, she reminded herself.

Meanwhile, she and Lee worked in tandem to build a fire and within a few minutes, the flames began to emerge from beneath a modest pile of logs.

"There. Just the perfect mix of newspaper and twigs," Amanda said triumphantly.

"And you only needed one match," Lee said with a grin.

"Of course," Amanda smiled, but she felt herself get a little warm and not just from the growing fire they were kneeling in front of.

Lee was clearly referring to their night in the swamp and that brought back so many memories. He had admired her survival skills then, too. Their wrists had still been chained together after they had managed to escape their captors, and Lee had held her close, trying to keep her warm. And then they had almost kissed. If she closed her eyes, she could still feel his breath against her lips, he'd been that close. And then they had heard the men again and they had lost the fire - in more ways than one.

They had cuddled up together again a while later when they settled in to get some sleep, but Lee had been more distant then. Well, until he'd fallen asleep that was. She still hadn't told him what he'd done after falling asleep. They hadn't been completely comfortable of course, sleeping on the cold ground with his left wrist chained to her right wrist. But Lee had held her close again, and after he had fallen asleep, he had caressed her back and shoulders gently. She had never felt as safe with a man as she'd felt in those moments, forgetting for a while that they were on the run from homicidal extremists. When she had snuggled closer against his chest, he had made room for her without waking up, and had rubbed her cheek with his own while whispering words of comfort. She still remembered the feeling of his slight stubble on her skin and she had tried not to wonder if maybe Lee's subconscious was telling him he was with one of his lady friends instead of with her. She hadn't asked him of course, but that near-kiss and his comforting presence even in sleep had given her the courage to contradict him the next morning, when he'd tried to brush the whole thing off.

"Let's hope this fire lasts a bit longer, huh?" she heard Lee ask and she blinked, shaking off all the memories of that night four months ago.

"Yes. Yes, let's hope so," she said quickly.

She stood up to move to one of the armchairs and Lee did the same. He watched her accept the glass of wine her mother was handing to her and he smiled at the older woman when Dotty handed him his glass. He wondered if Amanda had thought back to that night too, like he had. He had been less shocked than he had expected when he'd felt himself being drawn to Amanda like a magnet that night. He had tried to reason it away afterwards, telling himself it had just been the circumstances; telling himself that he hadn't felt drawn to her before at all, like that time in the ambulance after she'd been poisoned; or that time when she had wanted to quit the agency and he'd tried to agree with her but really didn't want her to walk out of his life. He'd even felt a slight sense of rejection whenever she'd confirm so readily that there was nothing going on between them. Strictly business, that was their motto. Or so they'd told each other, over and over again.

He couldn't feel drawn to Amanda, he had kept telling himself. She wasn't his type at all. He always went for the glamorous girls who liked to party and who wouldn't mind a meaningless affair. Amanda was way too conservative about relationships for him. He couldn't even imagine her sleeping with her boyfriend of several months, let alone a random date. What was that guy's name again? Dan? Dean. Dean, who liked to wear plaid coats. He was glad the weatherman was out of the picture now. Amanda might even have wanted to drag him along to this cabin if he'd still been in her life today. Lee tried not to think about why that would have bothered him. There was no room for another person; it was as simple as that. It was bad enough that he was sleeping on the couch - but any other arrangement wouldn't have made sense. Amanda wouldn't even sleep in the same bed with him fully clothed on an assignment!

And yet … they couldn't have been closer to each other that night in the swamp. And that has been why he figured she had only allowed the contact to keep warm. She had completely blindsided him the next morning with her comment and even four months later, he still didn't quite know what to make of it. _'Not exactly.'_ That was what she'd said when he had suggested that they'd just been two people trying to stay warm. And then she'd left him standing there in the hallway, completely stunned.

He looked at her again and wondered, as he'd done a hundred times before, what was going on inside her head. She hadn't mentioned it again and things had quickly returned to normal. They had worked together, he had pretended to be annoyed with her as usual, until he had finally admitted to himself, and then to her, that she really was a great help and an asset to the agency. She was now officially an agent in training and his partner.

"Lee?"

He blinked when Amanda suddenly called his name, and he sat up a little straighter.

"Yes?"

"I know you told me about our new names, but what are the new names mother and the boys should use?"

"New names? What new names?" Dotty chimed from her spot on the couch, and Amanda quickly explained to her mother that they couldn't use their own names anywhere for the time being.

"Maybe not ever," Lee stressed and she frowned at him.

Amanda didn't see the need to underline that particular detail. She just needed her mother to understand that she couldn't go by Mrs. West for now.

"We'll see about that," she continued. "But what are their names?"

"Well, the boys will be Philip and Jamie Dunkirk, same as our names."

Amanda raised an eyebrow and needed a few seconds to formulate a response.

"Same as _ours_?" she then asked, stressing the last word in surprise. "You mean you're going to pose as their _father_?"

Lee looked from her to Dotty and back and seemed very uneasy suddenly.

"Well …" he started, shifting in his seat. "That was our most logical cover. A regular family."

"The Dunkirks? We're the Dunkirks?" Dotty asked, confusion written all over her face.

"No mother, _we're_ the Dunkirks," Amanda told her, waving her hand between Lee and herself. "You can't have the same last name, unless you wanna pose as Lee's mother instead of mine."

That made her chuckle despite the uncomfortable discussion. She still wasn't completely over the fact that Lee wouldn't only pose as her husband, but also as the father of her boys.

"Let's not make this any weirder than it already is, alright?" Lee suggested quickly. "You, Dotty, are Dotty Ross. Fake school records have been made for Amanda Ross and there is a record of your marriage license to Fred Ross of Annandale, Virginia. Fred passed away a few years ago, just like your real husband."

"And you're my daughter's husband."

"Ah, yes. Yes, I am."

"Hah!"

Dotty looked triumphantly at Amanda, who had to suppress the urge once more to roll her eyes.

"Well, why didn't you tell me? Amanda, you shouldn't let your husband sleep on the couch!"

Dotty was clearly joking but Amanda was mortified nonetheless.

"Mother!" she she said through clenched teeth.

Lee seemed very amused and added,

"Yes dear, why did you kick me out of our bedroom?"

"Ho ho, very funny," Amanda huffed.

She wished now that she was a more regular drinker because she had a mind to drink her wine in one go and grab another glass. Her cheeks were red already so she might as well get tipsy, but the wine wasn't the sweet fruity stuff her mother usually brought home and she couldn't just gulp it down like lemonade.

Amanda was glad the others let the joke go after that, until she realized that Dotty was settling in for a nice long chat with Lee about her daughter's love life, or lack thereof.

"You know, Lee. I've been telling Amanda for ages that she needs to get out more. You know, ever since she stopped seeing Dean. For the life of me, I don't know why she let him get away. He was absolutely perfect for her. And for the boys, too!"

"Alright, alright!" Amanda interrupted, standing up to actually go and get that second glass of wine. "Mother, please. I'm sure Lee doesn't want to hear all of this."

"Oh, but I do," Lee said quickly.

Amanda turned to face him and glared at him, but Lee simply smiled sweetly.

"How can I not be interested in every detail of my lovely wife's life?"

"Oh shut up!" she huffed, walking off towards the kitchen. "All mother will tell you is how perfect Dean was for _her_; not for me."

It was Dotty's turn to roll her eyes, but she clearly wasn't done yet. Lee liked to see these two women together, giving him a glimpse of what Amanda's upbringing must have been like, but he could tell that Amanda felt quite embarrassed. And that wasn't what he wanted for her. But when Dotty asked her pointedly if she would care to share what kind of man _would_ be perfect for her, he had to admit he was interested to hear her answer.

"I don't know why we're even talking about this," Amanda deflected, walking back to her chair with a newly filled glass of wine. "It's serious enough that we need to assume a different identity at all. Who cares that we're posing as a married couple with kids for now. This isn't a game. It could be a matter of life and death."

Lee could see the relief in Amanda's face when they dropped the subject of her love life, and he smiled to himself. He didn't want her to feel embarrassed and he shouldn't expect to find out everything about her on their second day at this cabin. He shouldn't expect to find out anything at all about her, he admonished himself. Where did that thought even come from?

When Dotty got up a while later to go to bed, Amanda was quick to follow her. Lee wondered if she was trying to get away from him but then shook his head as he got his couch-bed ready for the night. Amanda wasn't one to shy away from a challenge. When it came down to it, she was far more direct than him. Over time, she had called him out in ways nobody had ever done before. And she had been the one brave enough to address their attraction in the swamp the morning after. He had been the one to run away then. He still didn't quite know what to do with himself and these feelings. Amanda wasn't his type, remember? He sighed when he took off his sweater and jeans. It was warm in the room now, the fire was still burning a little. He wondered if the women would mind if he'd sleep in just his boxers but decided in the end to keep his t-shirt on. He tried to block all thoughts of Amanda quickly, not wanting to think about what she would wear on a warm night. He grinned when he remembered her "Hot mama" shirt and then sighed when he caught himself wondering what she'd look like in just that shirt and nothing else. It was a good thing it wasn't just the two of them in the cabin. He wondered now how he'd ever gotten through the weekends he'd spent with her without making a complete fool of himself. Amanda King had to be the only woman on the planet who had him flustered so regularly. Maybe it was her bluntness, but then again, she could be the meekest little kitten when she was apologizing for something. She managed to throw him off completely every time and it was annoying. And confronting.

Lee sighed again as he tried to get comfortable on the couch. Tomorrow he would contact Billy. Hopefully, he would have some good news for all of them soon.

…

Unfortunately, Billy didn't give Lee any good news on Thursday morning. A large team was working around the clock to track the Russians involved in the threats and they were passing messages along, hoping the Russians would intercept them, that all of Lee's information was already being processed higher up in the agency food chain. It made no sense to continue to threaten his life or the lives of Amanda and her family to get the intel back. So far, they had not heard back from the group or groups involved so Lee was ordered to stay where he was, in his new identity with Amanda's family. Even if they had gotten the messages, the Russians might still want to take revenge.

Lee knew that Amanda was the first target, since the Russians thought she was his lover. Once again, her life was in danger through her association with him. She could argue that she was with the agency willingly but still, Lee knew that she had shown up on the KGB radar for working so closely with him. Very closely, as the many pictures of them together showed. If he didn't know any better, he would also have thought they were pictures of a couple in a relationship and he wondered if Amanda had seen it too.

She had an eye for these things, reading people's body language and their faces. He wondered what she saw when she looked at the pictures. He even wondered what she saw when she looked at _him_. Could she see somehow that he had feelings for her that were at the very least confusing? He watched her after his call to Billy as she went over the boys' school books with them to make a weekly study schedule for them. She was sitting at the dining table with the boys while Dotty was getting to know the laundry room and Lee was doing the dishes after breakfast.

"Lee, do you have anything that needs washing?" Dotty called out to him as she walked up to the kitchen counter.

"Ah, yeah. I'll get it for you."

He walked to the laundry room with Dotty and gestured vaguely at the pile of clothes in his open suitcase.

"That?" Dotty asked, making the same gesture. "All of it?"

"Uhm, no … Some of it's been worn but not everything, obviously."

Dotty decided that he couldn't keep living out of a suitcase and went in search of a better place for Lee's clothes. She cleared out two shelves in the linen closet next to the laundry room, stacking up the extra blankets and sheets at the bottom of the closet, and Lee was grateful. He felt like a squatter enough as it was, sleeping on the couch. At least he had a place to put his things now.

Dotty went back to sorting out the laundry, which was already beginning to add up for the five of them after two days at the cabin. Lee was glad that the older woman was adjusting to their new life and he was grateful that she was taking everything so well.

When he walked back to the kitchen to finish the dishes, Amanda looked up from the school books and smiled at him. She had a smile that could light up an entire room and he was grinning back before he even realized it.

Amanda watched Lee as he returned to the dishes. She was glad he was making an effort to adapt to their family routine. She knew he wasn't lazy by nature but she'd seen his apartment and she knew that he had taken his rebellion against his military upbringing to the extreme. But they were in this together and everyone would need to do their part.

Once the boys were hard at work at the dining table, Amanda picked out one of the books she had brought, planning to finish reading it today so she could start reading one of the new ones they'd bought in Romney. She got comfortable in one of the armchairs near the fireplace and Lee asked her,

"You want me to make a fire again? It's a little chilly today."

"Sure Lee, that'd be great," she agreed.

Dotty came back in the room, announcing that she had finally put the washer to work. She was carrying a modest pile of magazines and chose a corner of the couch for herself to do some reading as well. Lee returned with fresh logs and Amanda glanced at him a few times to see what he was doing. He was copying her actions of last night perfectly and sure enough, he got a nice fire started within five minutes. He was looking at the flames contently and then looked up at her. She smiled at him and he winked at her before pushing himself up to go and wash his hands. Amanda tried to focus on her book again but was acutely aware of Lee's every move. She wondered what he was going to do, now that the entire family was engrossed in reading. He had already finished yesterday's paper and they hadn't gone out to get a new one today. She couldn't really picture him fishing or gardening. It was a shame that it was still relatively cold outside. Otherwise, they could all go for a swim in the lake.

Amanda tried not to let her mind wander too much, or try to picture Lee in swim trunks. Still, if they did have to stay here for a few months, it would be interesting …  
She cleared her throat when Lee suddenly approached her to check out what she was reading. She really shouldn't be thinking about him like that, because it made her nervous now that he was suddenly so close, leaning his arms on the backrest of her chair to see her book.

"Good book?" he asked and she nodded.

"Yeah. It's a medieval novel."

"Oooh. Very bloody I bet," Lee grinned.

"Yes. And romantic," Amanda added, glancing up at him with a gleam in her eyes that made him pull away quickly. He really shouldn't get this close to her, he reminded himself. She was going to call him out on it every time.

Dotty opened her mouth to say something but somehow, Amanda's death glare shut her up before she could even say a word. Lee decided to get out of the way fast, and grabbed yesterday's newspaper from the coffee table on his way to 'his' armchair. Maybe he could find an article in the sports section that he hadn't read yet.

…

**To be continued**


	5. Chapter 5: The boys

**5\. The boys**

Their first week at the cabin went by without any incidents. Not that they had expected incidents to happen, but Amanda had been especially worried about her boys. And sure enough, on Monday, Philip began to complain.

"Mom? What date is it today?" he asked, after finishing his breakfast.

"It's March 17, honey."

"So we've been here for almost a whole week now."

"That's right."

"I miss my friends."

"Oh, Philip."

Amanda stood up to give her son a hug.

"I'm so sorry baby," she said softly and Philip rested his head against her shoulder. He was her oldest but sometimes he was still her little baby.

"We haven't been anywhere yet," Philip complained. "Just here around this stupid cabin!"

"I know, I know," Amanda whispered, rubbing his back. "You know, there's some fishing gear in the shed. I wanna bet there's some good fish in the lake. Why don't we skip school work today and do some fishing, huh? What do you say?"

Philip untangled himself from her embrace and looked at Lee, who was just standing up to go to the van to make his scheduled call to Billy.

"Does _he _know anything about fishing? Dean did."

Lee stopped in his tracks and Amanda bit her lip. Her eyes sent him a wordless apology but he knew it wasn't her fault that Philip would say something like that. The reality of their seclusion was beginning to sink in for the boys and he couldn't blame Philip for lashing out a little.

"I can teach you, Lee," Jamie piped up, getting up from his spot at the table to walk up to Lee. "We just have to find some worms first."

"Who says I wanna go fishing, wormbrain!" Philip spat at his younger brother.

"Well, then don't come!" Jamie yelled back.

He stuck his tongue out at his older brother and then turned back to Lee.

"You'll go fishing with me, won't you?"

Lee rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and glanced from Jamie to Amanda and back.

"Ah, sure kiddo. Just let me make my call to the agency first?"

"Okay. Can I come?"

Lee looked at Amanda again, who pulled up her shoulders as if to say it was up to him. Lee then smiled at Jamie and told him that, of course, he could come. And he could talk to Billy too if he wanted to.

The two of them left for the van and Amanda sat down at the dinner table, pulling Philip into her lap.

"Philip, I know it's hard for you guys to be away from home and everyone you know. I wish it didn't have to be this way too. But it's just too dangerous for us in Arlington right now. You understand that, don't you?"

"Yeah. But there's no other kids to hang out with here at all. Just my baby _brother_."

"Jamie isn't a baby anymore Philip, you know that. And you two have fun together too, right?"

Philip shrugged.

"I guess. I just miss my own friends from school."

"I'm sorry honey. I guess it's all my fault for wanting to be a spy," Amanda sighed.

"Oh no mom. That's totally neat!" Philip countered emphatically. "I just wish I could tell my friends about it."

"You can never tell anyone," Amanda said sternly and Philip's face fell.

She didn't want her boys to hurt but she couldn't take Philip's pain away this time and it made her heart ache.

"But meanwhile, we can make the best of it here, can't we?" she asked hopefully.

Philip shrugged again.

"I'm trying mom. I just wish dad was here, too, instead of …"

He gestured at the door and Amanda sighed inaudibly. Maybe things had been going too well this past week. She couldn't expect her children to accept a new man in their family overnight.

"Lee is trying too, honey. He's been telling you stories because we don't have a TV and he plays along with any game we pick. It's no fun for him either you know. He has his own life that he misses too."

Philip took a few moments to think about his mother's words, and then asked,

"Does he have his own family back in Washington?"

Amanda rubbed her son's back absentmindedly and gave him a sad smile.

"No. No, he doesn't have any family actually."

Philip frowned. He didn't say anything else about Lee and decided that maybe he and Jamie could build a treehouse. Amanda encouraged the idea and suggested that he start making a plan for a treehouse on paper first, since Jamie was planning to do some fishing. There was a hardware story in Romney, so if they needed any additional tools, they could get them in town. By the time Jamie and Lee returned, Philip was already engrossed in drawing a treehouse and calculating what they would need to build it.

Amanda smiled at Lee and asked him if Billy had some good news this time.

"I'm afraid not," Lee replied. "Word is that the Russians are still after us and are keeping the pressure on. They want to know what we know exactly, so they can relocate and hide their operations. The first arrests have already been made based on my intel, and they're pissed."

Amanda frowned and he wondered briefly if she objected to his choice of words, but then she remarked,

"I can imagine. So that means we're not out of the woods yet."

She chuckled then and Lee smiled when the double meaning of her words hit both of them.

"Looks like it," he agreed, gesturing around him. They were definitely still in the woods.

"So, are you and Jamie going fishing?" Amanda asked.

Lee had some experience fishing but he was a bit hesitant about spending time alone with Jamie. What on earth did he know about 10-year olds? But Jamie was undeterred and grabbed his hand to go and find a shovel, so they could dig for worms. Lee let himself be dragged off and was rewarded with a warm, happy smile from Amanda.

...

With all the men in the household busy, Amanda suggested to her mother that they go grocery shopping together this time. Dotty was very happy to get out of the house and also to spend some time alone with her daughter. While the reality of their situation had sunk in by now, she was still restless about the secret life her only child had been leading for such a long time. She had been connecting more and more dots of strange disappearances and nights and weekends that Amanda had had to work. It had all been for the spy agency. She hadn't been involved in a secret affair after all, and Dotty wasn't sure if she should be relieved or disappointed about that. But getting to know Lee Stetson and seeing how he and her daughter interacted was interesting to say the least. Amanda had told her that Lee was a ladies man, with a new girl on his arm every weekend, but the handsome man seemed extremely content to be here with them now. He was helpful and respectful and was making an effort to entertain the boys. He didn't strike her as the shallow type at all. And the look in his hazel eyes whenever he looked at Amanda … it was swoon-worthy. And yet her daughter didn't seem to notice, convinced that Lee wasn't interested in her.

Dotty knew that Amanda would be annoyed if she brought this back up. And she really didn't want to meddle. But it was becoming more and more obvious to her that there was much more than just a working relationship between these two people - whether they knew it themselves or not.

Still, it was great to see other people again and she enjoyed shopping with Amanda. For a few hours, it was as if everything was normal. They even had lunch in town before going back to the cabin with their purchases, including some more reading material. Amanda had insisted on buying three different newspapers for Lee and had simply smiled softly when Dotty had told her she was a good friend.

Amanda was relieved that her mother was't pressing her about Lee this time. They had had a wonderful time in town together and she wanted things to stay relaxed between them. She had hated keeping things from her mother, but she wasn't ready to talk about her latent feelings for Lee Stetson with her. Not while they were all confined to the same living space.

She saw movement in the corner of her eye as they were carrying their last purchases back to the jeep in the parking lot and spotted a man with a camera, taking pictures of the area. She quickly turned away and pulled her mother behind the jeep, out of sight of the man with the camera.

"Amanda! What are you doing?" Dotty protested, but Amanda quickly shushed her.

"_Mother_. There's a man taking pictures over there. We can't show up in anyone's pictures right now, alright?"

Dotty nodded. Amanda peered through the side windows of the jeep to see if the man was still there. Once she was satisfied that he had moved on, she took a deep breath and stood up straight.

"Is he gone?" Dotty asked, her voice trembling a little.

"Yes. Yes, he is. Now it may have been completely innocent, but we can never be too sure," Amanda told her mother. "Let's just get in the jeep and get out of here."

Dotty nodded and stealthily rounded the jeep to get in on the passenger side. Amanda smiled. Her mother reminded her of herself, those first few times she'd been 'on the job' for the agency. No wonder Lee had found her annoying. She must have matured in her new role without realizing it, because she could suddenly see how levelheaded she had become about the spy business. She didn't panic quickly anymore and was able to maintain a completely casual attitude and improvise her way out of - or into - all kinds of situations.

Her thoughts drifted back to Lee automatically while she steered the Jeep away from the parking lot and back to the main road. He must have seen that change in her, and that's why he had arranged for her to become a real agent after all. And maybe … maybe he looked at her differently now in other areas too …

Amanda blew out an annoyed breath and then pretended to be annoyed by the long drive back, before her mother might begin to wonder out loud what was on her mind.

...

Lee had to admit that it had been a lot of fun to do some fishing with Jamie. He already knew how to fish but he had let Jamie explain things to him anyway. They had caught only a few small fish and thrown them back, but Jamie was elated and that was enough of a reward. He wasn't sure what to do about Philip though. The 12-year old had been rather stoic and had hardly responded to Jamie's excited stories about their fishing adventure. Instead, he continued to draw his treehouse, adding measurements, and a while later he went looking around the cabin for the best tree to build it in. Lee wondered if the boys would want him to help them once they entered the building stage.

Having had only a small breakfast, since he still wasn't used to eating anything first thing in the morning, Lee was beginning to get a little hungry and he checked his watch. It was almost 1 PM and he wondered why Amanda and Dotty hadn't come back yet. Could something have happened to them? He tried to shake off his concern but still, he hated that they didn't have a phone in the cabin, and the car phone only worked when it was connected to the car's battery. Besides, Amanda didn't even know the number of the car phone. They would have to fix that as soon as she got back. He had asked her to fill up the Jeep's gas tank in town and could only hope she hadn't forgotten. Otherwise, they might get stranded somewhere along the South Branch River Road.

The more time went by, the more restless Lee became. Shouldn't they have been back now? How long had he and Amanda been in town last week? They'd been back well before lunch, hadn't they? He tried not to show his concern to the boys and casually suggested having some lunch.

"What about mom and grandma?" Jamie asked. "Shouldn't we wait for them?"

"We could, but maybe they've eaten in town," Lee replied, and he realized that the excuse he was making up for the women might very well be true. Amanda really liked to stick to her routine and eat at regular intervals.

"Can we make our own sandwiches?" Jamie asked and Lee smiled.

"Sure. Why not?"

Half an hour later, he had completely rethought that decision. The kitchen was a mess, with open jars and containers everywhere, butter in the sink and mayonnaise all over the counter.

"I didn't know that you could pile that much on just one slice of bread," Lee mumbled, shaking his head while looking at Philip, who could barely take a bite of his monster-sandwich, as he called it.

"You haven't lived until you've tried it," Jamie said dryly and that made Lee laugh out loud.

Surely the kid hadn't made that phrase up himself.

"That's what grandma always says," Jamie explained, and suddenly it made sense.

The older woman was definitely more of a risk-taker than her daughter. Lee joined the boys at the table and took a bite of his own sandwich, which was far more modest than what they had made.

"What have you got on it?" Philip inquired.

"Just some butter, a fried egg, cheese and a few slices of ham," Lee replied.

The boys looked at each other, rolling their eyes, and then said simultaneously,

"Boring!"

They burst out laughing and Lee couldn't help laughing along with them. He was glad the boys were relaxed and that even Philip was agreeable. He had pretended that he hadn't heard Philip mention Dean, but it had stung a little. From what he'd seen, if anyone deserved the label 'boring' it was Dean. But maybe things were different from a young boy's point of view. Dean had apparently had a lot of fun with them - in retrospect, probably more with them than with Amanda - and he knew it was very important if you wanted a relationship to go anywhere, that the kids were on board. He knew that Philip was probably acting up a little because of his age. Twelve was that awkward stage between being a boy and hitting puberty. Maybe he would have rebelled against Dean too if he'd been twelve when the weatherman came into his mom's life.

Lee frowned and scolded himself mentally. He wasn't seriously comparing himself to a boring weatherman who liked to wear plaid, was he? He was a man of the world. He spoke five languages, he knew how to dress and he was well known and well-liked at all kinds of events around DC, socializing easily with the rich, the famous and the beautiful. He didn't have to spend a single evening alone if he didn't want to, his four black books could attest to that. So why even _think _about Dean? Just because Philip wished he'd been here? Or was there another reason? Lee stubbornly refused to continue his train of thought when he realized where it was leading him. Still, a nagging little voice in the back of his head asked him, if he could have a stunning woman on his arm every night, why he had consistently brought Amanda to government functions lately. He hadn't really _needed _someone with a grade A security clearance every time. And they'd been out to dinner and even the opera. In fact, he had been looking for ways to spend time with her outside of work.

He focused on the conversation the boys were having instead of allowing more thoughts to float to the surface about Amanda and how much he enjoyed her company. When Jamie noted that it was almost 2 o'clock, he stood up and walked to the window next to the door.

"Shouldn't mom and grandma have been back by now?" Philip asked.

"I'm sure they're fine," Lee responded automatically but he wasn't sure at all.

He had a mind to take the van and drive towards town, but he couldn't leave the boys here alone, and he didn't want to worry them either. Instead, he asked them if they would clean up the mess they'd made in the kitchen before their mother would see it and they boys quickly got to work. Lee walked outside, pretending to need something from the storage room. He wished he knew what was taking the women so long, and relief washed over him when he suddenly heard the unmistakable sound of the Jeep, bouncing over the last part of the bumpy road towards the cabin.

…

Lee was standing outside, his hands on his hips, waiting for them when they arrived back at the cabin.

"Uh oh," Dotty mumbled. "He does not look amused."

"Oh mother. He just happened to be outside," Amanda said, focusing on clearing the final hole in the road before steering the Jeep onto the clearing in front of the cabin.

"If you say so, dear," Dotty replied, completely unconvinced.

They got out of the car and sure enough, Lee came walking up to them immediately. He ran a hand through his hair and sounded agitated when he asked Amanda,

"What took you so long?"

"We went shopping, Lee. What did you expect, that we'd be back in an hour?"

"You've been gone for almost _five _hours!"

"We did some shopping, got our groceries, got the gas tank filled up and we had lunch." Amanda counted on her fingers. "And then we had to drive all the way back here. Why? Did the boys give you a hard time?"

"No," Lee huffed. "That's not the point. I had no idea where you were."

"We went to town. Of _course _you knew where we were!"

"You could have been stranded somewhere."

"Now why would we get stranded, Lee. That doesn't make sense. Besides, people are all quite willing to help each other out here so we would have gotten back eventually."

"Not everyone who is willing to help, can be trusted Amanda!"

"Oh come on! I just needed some time alone with my mother so we had lunch in town. Is that such a crime?"

"Well, we are supposed to stay out of sight, remember?"

"Children, children," Dotty interrupted, holding her hands up while approaching the two bickering agents. "There is no need at all to argue. Please. Lee was clearly worried because we were gone longer than he had expected. Next time, we'll be clearer about our plans, alright?"

Amanda raised an eyebrow and looked at her flustered partner. Worried? He didn't look worried, just angry.

"I wasn't worried," Lee huffed.

"Of course you weren't dear," Dotty said sweetly, putting a hand on his arm and tugging him along. "Come on. Help us unload the Jeep. I could use a cup of coffee right about now."

Lee looked at her one last time over his shoulder while her mother dragged him to the back of the Jeep and Amanda wondered if his anger really was born out of concern. Had they been gone that long? Or had it just seemed that way to him because he had trouble relating to the boys? She sighed softly and then turned around to help them unload the Jeep. Once all their purchases were safely inside the cabin, Dotty made them all coffee. Amanda and Lee each plopped down in their respective armchairs and looked at each other. They both seemed to realize the ridiculousness of their argument at the same time, and the corners of their mouths began to tug up. First one, then the other, until they were both smiling.

Amanda chuckled and then Lee shook his head, grinning.

"I'm sorry Lee," Amanda said with an understanding smile.

"Me too. I really was getting a little worried."

"I understand."

Dotty walked up to her daughter to hand her a cup of coffee and gave her a pointed look. She didn't have to say anything, Amanda was getting her message loud and clear. Once they all had their coffee and Dotty had sat down on the couch, Amanda asked Lee,

"So, how did it go with the boys?"

…

**To be continued**

**A/N I know I reversed they boys' reaction to Lee compared to the actual show. Considering their ages, it seemed more logical to me that a boy hitting puberty would have more of a problem with a new man than the younger one. Writer's prerogative :)**


	6. Chapter 6: Mother

**6\. Mother**

"_So, how did it go with the boys?"_

Dotty spoke up before Lee could answer Amanda.

"If you ask me, he let them do whatever they wanted. Granted, they did make a brave attempt at cleaning up but I can tell, you know."

Dotty raised an eyebrow as she looked at Lee but he could tell that she wasn't annoyed in any way. She was amused.

"We made sandwiches," he said by way of explanation.

"Oh, well. That explains everything," Amanda said with a laugh.

Lee grinned at her and had to make an effort to tear his eyes away from her sparkling eyes. He really was happy that they were back home.

"Did you get everything you needed in town?" he inquired, relieved that Amanda was letting go of their little argument so easily. Then again, she wasn't one to dwell on negativity. It was one of the things he liked about her. She was honest to a fault and never minced words, but she could let go of something unpleasant in a heartbeat and move on as if nothing had ever happened. He always knew where he stood with her and that was a good feeling. It felt secure and he felt like he could tell her anything.

Well … almost anything.

There was one area in his life - in their lives - where he felt anything but secure. Maybe that was because he wasn't sure of his own position. Or because he was trying desperately not to let her into that particular area of his life for fear of … of what, exactly? Of being turned down? Or maybe he was afraid of the opposite. Because what on earth was he supposed to expect if he really stepped into the world of Amanda King, to become part of it? He felt like maybe he was getting a preview of family life with her here at the cabin, but it still wasn't a life with her. They basically still lived as coworkers - and friends - who had their own lives, even if their daily routines had merged together in some mysterious way.

Lee had already known how to cook but he was discovering more of his own domestic side, taking responsibility for parts of their little household. Some chores were done together, like cleaning up after dinner. Other things rotated, like cooking and getting the table ready. And other things were clearly either his job or not his job. Dotty was in charge of the laundry room, Amanda of the boys' school work and tidying up inside the cabin and Lee was in charge of the logs for the fire, cleaning out the fireplace, garbage disposal and anything else they needed from outside or from the storage room.

He must have been staring because he suddenly heard Dotty say,

"Earth to Stetson!"

"Hm?"

He looked at Dotty and then and Amanda, who was grinning.

"He hasn't heard a word we said, mother," she chuckled.

"Sure I did … you were talking about what you got in town."

"Yes. And what did we get?"

He had no idea and Dotty shook her head but didn't say anything.

"Well, I just hope you'll enjoy the newspapers we got you," Amanda said.

"She insisted on getting you three different ones," Dotty chimed in again and Lee smiled at Amanda.

"Thank you."

"That's what friends are for," Amanda said quietly.

She was suddenly extremely interested in the remainder of her coffee, swirling it around in her cup.

"Oh, and don't forget the photographer," Dotty said.

"What photographer?" Lee asked, instantly alert.

Amanda quickly told him about the man at the parking lot and how they'd handled it. Lee agreed that they couldn't be too careful at this point. However, he thought it was very unlikely that the Russians would have found their way to Romney already.

"But just in case, the next run into town should be you and me again, Amanda."

Amanda nodded, glancing at her mother and then back at him. She almost seemed a little shy and he never knew what she was thinking when she made that particular face. It was the exact same face she had made that time he had told her she would be Mrs. Lee Stetson for a weekend at the Cumberland. Before he could wonder any further about it, the boys came back in the room, arguing loudly about Philip's plans for the treehouse.

"Nobody's going to come and play with us anyway, meat head!" Jamie spat.

"You don't know that! There's gotta be other kids around here _somewhere_!" Philip countered.

The older boy flopped down on the couch and crossed his arms in front of his chest, frowning.

"Boys, please," Amanda said, getting up to walk over to Philip. "Now what has gotten into you two?"

She sat down next to Philip and gestured at Jamie to come join them. When the younger boy approached her, she pulled him into her lap.

Lee watched her calm her boys down, speaking sternly to them at first, and lovingly once she had their full attention. She was an amazing mother and somehow, he pictured his own mother just like her. It saddened him that he had so few real memories of her anymore after losing his parents when he was only seven. Amanda gave each boy just as much attention as the other one and the children clearly accepted her authority, while also sensing how much she loved them. Once the boys were calm again, she suggested finding a tree very close to the lake, so they might even do some fishing _from _the treehouse once it was finished.

"Yeah. And it shouldn't be _too _close to the cabin, so we could hide out there if we had to," Philip said.

Lee wasn't sure if Philip was truly aware of the danger they would be in if they were ever recognized, but he had to agree with the boy that it couldn't hurt to have an extra hideout in the woods. He glanced at Dotty to get an idea where she stood, and found the older woman watching him. She smiled when they made eye contact and Lee quickly smiled back before responding to Philip's remark.

"That's actually a great idea, Philip. Good thinking."

Philip nodded and then checked with his mother, who gave him a wide smile.

"Absolutely. You're already beginning to think like a spy."

Philip's face lit up and he nodded again.

"Right. So how about it Jamie? You wanna go scout for a tree?"

Lee saw Amanda give her youngest a quiet nudge and Jamie finally gave in.

"Alright then. As long as it's close to the lake."

Amanda released him when he slid off her lap, and Jamie smiled at Lee.

"You can come up there to fish too once it's ready," Jamie told him.

Lee smiled.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, Jamie. And let me know if you guys need a hand."

"Will do!"

And then they were off again.

…

Amanda let the boys play outside for the rest of the day. Their school work would still be there tomorrow, she reasoned, and they couldn't do any tests from here anyway. Lee was reading one of the newspapers, and she was glad she had thought of bringing them for him. She was engrossed in the final chapter of her medieval novel when Lee suddenly said from behind his newspaper,

"Looks like the weather is going to improve quite a bit this week."

"Really?"

"Yeah. We're looking at a 20 degree temperature jump in two days."

"Oh. So it's going to be really warm."

Lee nodded and looked at her, an unspoken question in his eyes.

"What?" Amanda asked.

She had no idea what Lee was thinking.

"Maybe we can go out on a field trip to one of the camp sites in the area Wednesday. Even this time of year, there have to be other kids around that the boys can play with."

"Oh Lee, that's so considerate of you," she gushed, and she really meant it. It meant a lot to her that Lee was making such an effort for the boys. "Let's have a family meeting about it over dinner."

Lee grinned and focused on his newspaper again. Then Amanda heard him mumble,

"Family meeting. I like it."

Dotty walked in from the laundry room, humming a tune so exaggeratedly that Amanda just knew she had heard their little exchange and was drawing her own conclusions. She shook her head and tried to concentrate on her book again, feeling a small sense of relief that her annoyance at her mother kept her from thinking too deeply about Lee now being part of a family meeting.

The boys were very happy with the prospect of a change of scenery and after dinner they were studying the ad in the newspaper that had given Lee the idea for their little trip. Lee and Amanda were doing the dishes and Dotty just looked around their little household contently. It was still strange to be out here in the middle of nowhere but they were all doing pretty well, considering. Even Lee was beginning to fit in and Philip seemed to make an effort not to be too grumpy at the man. Taking the boys to a campsite where they would be able to do all kinds of fun things was a great way to worm his way into their hearts and the older woman could see how happy it made her daughter, too. And the look in those beautiful, hazel eyes, that seemed to follow Amanda wherever she went … she wondered why Amanda didn't see it. Dotty sighed. It was time to do something about it, if those two couldn't get there on their own.

Once they were all in bed that night, Amanda was just trying to get comfortable for the night when her mother spoke up.

"Amanda?"

"Yes mother."

"Remember before all of this happened, when I said that it would be good for Lee to find some stability?"

"Yes mother, I remember."

Amanda rolled on her back and looked up at the ceiling of their darkened bedroom.

"Well, little did I know what kind of an unstable life he was actually leading. And you too! I mean, on the outside you lookes like a regular suburban woman with kids but you actually have this exciting and dangerous double life going on that nobody knows about! And so does Lee."

"You weren't _supposed _to know about it, mother."

"Let's not get into that again, shall we? It's bad enough that I never caught on."

Amanda smiled and reached for her mother's hand on top of the covers.

"And here you were, wanting me to get out more," she chuckled.

"Yes! And all this time, you _were _out there. With Lee."

Amanda sighed.

"I was out there with Lee but I'm not _with _Lee, mother."

"Hmmm."

Amanda could practically hear the wheels turning in her mother's head and tried to predict what she would say next. But she could not have predicted her mother's quiet observation. Not this time.

"He's in love with you, you know."

"What?"

Amanda couldn't help chuckling nervously. Now where would her mother have gotten that idea? Lee wasn't in love with her! Until recently he had always muttered when he had to work with her, and emphasized how small her role for the agency was; almost as if he would rather not have her there at all. She knew he did like her and that part of his annoyance was an act. She also knew that he always played it close to the vest and wouldn't show his heart to anyone easily. But to say that his grumpy attitude was masking any romantic feelings for her … that was taking it a bit far.

Still, she instantly thought back to their moment in the swamp. It had been more than just trying to keep warm for her, and she had truly felt that it had been more for him too, even if he had denied it the next morning. She still wondered what would have happened if they had actually kissed before they were interrupted. Part of her knew it would have been more than just a peck on the lips and her stomach clenched at the thought.

"I can see it in his eyes, you know," her mother continued.

Amanda did love his eyes and smiled in the dark. He could render her weak in the knees just by looking at her sometimes.

"Oh, I don't know mother. He's never said or done anything to suggest …"

"Maybe he thinks you wouldn't be interested."

Amanda let out a breath slowly. Not interested? She had tried very hard not to let her mind go there because she thought _he_ wouldn't be interested.

"Amanda?" her mother said, and Amanda realized she was fishing to find out if her daughter would be interested if Lee was.

"I … mother, I think you're wrong about him. He's … we're so different. Our lives are so different. I don't think it would work at all."

"But would you be interested?" Dotty pressed. "I mean, on a scale from one to ten, you have to admit he's an eleven!"

"Mother!" Amanda hissed, feeling almost embarrassed that her own mother would talk about a man that way, even if nobody could hear them.

"Well, it's true and you know it. I know you like him, dear. And I know he likes you too. So why not go for it?"

Her mother always made it sound so easy. She flirted with men, and if things didn't work out, she just happily dashed off to the next man. But Amanda took these things very seriously. She wasn't a flirt at heart. On top of that, she would never _ever_ want to jeopardize her friendship with Lee unless ... Unless what? Unless there was something real in the cards for them? Did that mean she _was _interested? Who was she kidding? She was interested. She just didn't think they wanted the same things out of life and so she tried to be content with having him as a partner and friend.

"I don't know, mother," she finally said. "I don't think I'm what he's looking for."

"Amanda, take it from me: most men don't know what they're looking for themselves," Dotty stated with her usual certainty. "They need us to show it to them."

Amanda smiled despite the unnerving subject of their conversation.

"I don't know if I'm ready to show Lee anything, mother," she admitted quietly.

Dotty squeezed her hand.

"Just think about what I said, darling."

"I will, mother."

"Alright. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, mother."

Amanda turned on her side again and tried to relax. But her mother's words kept repeating in her head and she wondered if she would get any sleep now. Lee couldn't be in love with her ... could he?

…

**To be continued**


	7. Chapter 7: Day out

**A/N: Imaginary campsite coming up, details from various locations combined for our little family's pleasure.**

...

**7\. Day out**

Lee had caught Amanda looking at him from time to time, and then when he looked at her, she quickly looked away. At first he thought it was kind of funny, but after a while he began to wonder if there was something wrong. Or maybe he had missed something? He still wasn't completely used to a full house over breakfast; he wasn't even used to actually eating breakfast, let alone listen to what everyone was saying this early in the morning. The weather forecast had been accurate and the sun was already warming up the air early on Wednesday, and Lee decided to take his coffee outside and breathe in the serenity of the lake for a few minutes.

His thoughts drifted back to Amanda almost instantly. He knew she liked him. She'd told him on several occasions, in that totally disarming honest way of hers, that she thought he was a pretty special man and that she cared about what happened to him. He appreciated it more than he was willing to admit. And perhaps he reciprocated that caring a little more than he was willing to admit, too. He tried not to think about it too much but he knew he had started caring about Amanda very early on. Why else would he have risked being locked up as a traitor when he decided to trade a Russian spy for her to get her back to safety? He'd only known her for a few months then but he already couldn't imagine his life without her …

No. That couldn't have been it. She was a mother and her kids needed her. And he'd felt responsible for dragging her into the agency business in the first place. _That_ was why he couldn't live with her death. Nothing else.

But here, now, in this cabin in the woods, there was no way around Amanda anymore. No other women to pass the time with to take his mind off of … of what, exactly? If anything, his last attempt at dating had made him think even more of Amanda. He smiled, remembering Amanda's words, and she'd been right too. Leslie had been nice. A _normal _person. Just like her … And Leslie had been understanding, just like her. She had basically told him to spend some time with his partner instead of with her, to show her his appreciation. To show her how much she meant to him. And it had been fun. He had to admit that spending time with one person without focusing on the challenge of getting them into his bed, had been good. Great, actually. He had felt much more relaxed. He had even enjoyed staying in and cooking again, instead of needing to get out to a restaurant and then a club. He could relax around Amanda and simply be himself.

And now they were here and there was no way around her anymore. He was being completely professional but he couldn't help thinking about the way she was looking at him sometimes. Her eyes seemed to hold an unspoken question, one he was trying not to put into words, but it was there. Maybe it had been there for a lot longer but it was being magnified now. She was wondering. Wondering about him.

He shook his head and blew out a breath, still staring out over the calm lake. She was probably wondering when he was going to get sick of being holed up with them in the cabin. Hell, he had just fled breakfast because the family was just too loud for him this early in the morning. No wonder she would ask herself when he'd snap. So he told himself. But deep down, he knew that even if she wondered about that, it wasn't the only thing she wondered about. And neither was he.

"You were right about the weather," he heard a voice say behind him, and he whipped around to see Dotty coming his way with her own cup of coffee in hand.

He nodded.

"Yeah. It's going to be a great day to be outdoors."

Dotty stood next to him and looked out over the lake with him as they drank their coffee quietly.

"I had you pegged for a city boy."

Lee chuckled.

"Can't blame you there. I usually am. But we have to think about the boys, right?"

"The boys. Yes, of course."

Lee glanced at his companion and there was a soft smile on the woman's face. She and her daughter couldn't be more different in many ways, but sometimes he did see a resemblance. And this was one of those times because the mother was definitely not saying something; just like he often thought that Amanda was not saying something that was on the tip of her tongue.

"Is there something you wanna say to me, Dotty?" Lee asked her, and Dotty seemed a little shocked at the question. But she recovered quickly and just gave him a sweet smile.

"No," she told him, still smiling. "Nothing you don't already know."

And with those words, she left him alone and headed back to the cabin to help Amanda pack for their trip.

Lee had surprised himself, being so straightforward, but maybe he was ready to get a few things straight after a few weeks at the cabin. It seemed that Dotty wasn't planning on helping him get those answers, so his thoughts went back to Amanda. Maybe they needed to have a little chat today.

…

They had taken the van out to the campsite, since it was more comfortable for the five of them. And the old thing really needed the exercise to charge the battery properly, so Lee had told them. Amanda had gotten in the back seat with the boys and they were excited about the day ahead. They had even brought their little tent to set up for the day and were looking forward to participating in the camp activities.

The adults would have some time to themselves and Amanda wondered what Lee was planning on doing. It might be fun to join some of the games. There would probably be a few for parents as well. And they were both supposed to be parents now. She smiled softly at the thought of Lee posing as the boys' father. Somehow she expected him give it his best shot and she hoped Philip would come around soon and accept him in their lives. For now, anyway, she quickly added in her mind but she knew that wasn't really what she had meant.

When they arrived at the campsite about an hour and a half later, the boys jumped out of the van and were eager to go out and explore. Amanda told them that they would stick together until they had reported in with the people in charge of the activities, and had made a general plan for the day. She didn't want to lose her boys in the crowd without at least agreeing on a meeting point where they would be able to find each other throughout the day if needed.

About thirty minutes later, the boys were happily setting up camp with several other children, under the watchful eye of a few camp staffers and most of the parents, although the parents kept a respectable distance. They had agreed to all find each other for lunch, and would have a picnic together. Amanda saw her mother chatting up one of the older guests, probably a grandfather of one of the children and rolled her eyes.

Lee, having seen the same thing, remarked,

"Your mother seems to feel right at home here already."

"Ugh," Amanda grunted, making a helpless gesture with her hands. "She's going to be talking about that man - or some other man - nonstop all the way back to the cabin tonight."

They were walking towards a bench made from tree logs and sat down to watch the children for a while.

Amanda glanced at Lee from time to time, wondering if this was really the way he liked to spend his day. He seemed to be pondering something and she wondered what was on his mind. Did he miss his life back in the city? The parties and the food? And the company? She breathed out slowly and tried to focus her attention on the boys. Her mother seemed convinced that Lee had feelings for her, and sometimes she actually thought she saw something in his eyes. But she couldn't really see him being seriously interested in someone like her.

She jumped when she suddenly felt Lee's hand brush her back.

"Hey, relax," he said softly. "We're supposed to be a married couple, remember?"

He wrapped his arm around her, resting his hand on her hip, and she tried to relax in her role. She could do this. She'd done it before, after all.

"Right. If anyone asks, we've been married for fourteen years," she confirmed, repeating what they had been told about their new identities.

"Exactly. So we should be comfortable with each other by now," Lee said with a grin, and she was beginning to wonder if he was planning to milk the situation now that they were out in public.

Her breath hitched when he leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek, and he must have noticed. She felt herself get warm and hoped she wasn't blushing. She quickly busied herself, digging her sunglasses out of her purse, trying to ignore the feeling of Lee's hand on her hip. She found her sunglasses and a bottle of sunscreen lotion and it reminded her that they would all need to put some sunscreen on. The boys had their own bottle and she would remind them soon. She uncapped her bottle and glanced at her companion, who was watching with great interest what she was doing. Once she had put some lotion in her hand, he asked her,

"Need some help with that?"

"Uh …"

"You could do my face and I could do yours."

The little lights dancing in his eyes made her stomach flutter and she knew he was teasing her. She couldn't stop herself from smiling widely.

"Well alright. We'll do that. Just like a regular married couple," she said with a smile.

…

Lee didn't know where he'd gotten the courage to tease Amanda like this. Maybe it was because of the looks she'd been giving him, or because of Dotty's words.

_Nothing you don't already know._

If he was supposed to know something, it had to be about this _thing _hanging between him and Amanda. He chuckled inwardly. A thing? That was what Amanda had called it the very first time they'd been forced to spend the night in the same apartment. That she felt like she was having _a thing_. She couldn't even say the word affair back then. And later she'd called it an _oh-ho-ho_. She was so cute when she felt embarrassed.

"What are you so happy about?" Amanda inquired.

Her face was very serious while she rubbed the sunscreen lotion on his face, making sure not to miss his hairline. Lee tried for a nonchalant attitude when he told her,

"Just that we're doing a great job as a couple."

"Me fussing over you is a great job?"

"Yeah. It's what I imagine we'd be like if we were really …"

He hesitated suddenly, realizing what he was saying.

Amanda's eyebrows had shot up but she quickly returned to her duty of making sure his cheeks and nose were covered, and then handed him the bottle.

"Ah, you know …" Lee stammered and the corner of her mouth tugged up.

It looked like _she _enjoyed it when _he _was embarrassed too.

"If we really what, Lee? You've been thinking about that?"

…

Amanda had felt her heart skip several beats over the past few minutes but if Lee was really admitting to something, she wanted to know. And so she'd asked him. Her tone had been quite normal, as if she'd asked him something about a case, and she felt very brave.

Lee wiggled his head while he squirted some lotion in his hand. When he started applying it gently on her cheeks and forehead, Amanda closed her eyes. She didn't want the lotion to get in her eyes and it gave her a moment to focus on her breathing while she waited for Lee's answer.

"Well, we've gotta be convincing," she heard him say. "So yeah, I've been going over a few scenarios in my head."

"Right. Of course you have," Amanda said, opening her eyes and nodding.

"Hold still," Lee said, moving one finger from her nose to her chin.

His hands were warm and her skin felt tingly. She tried to hold still but had to take a deep breath.

"There," Lee said. "All done."

Before she realized what he was doing, he rubbed his own nose against hers and grinned. Then he handed the bottle back to her and she was grateful for the distraction. She tucked the bottle back in her purse and quickly put her sunglasses on to scan the area until she located the boys. Their tent was almost up and they were chatting happily with a few other boys.

"I should go tell them to get some lotion on too," Amanda said.

She jumped up and walked over to the campsite to give the boys instructions. When she returned, she saw another couple approaching their bench and talking to Lee. He was smiling politely but even from a distance Amanda could tell that he wasn't really happy with the company.

"Here comes my wife now," she heard him say.

Lee stood up, holding out his arm, and she quickly joined him, wrapping her arm around his waist and smiling at the other couple.

"Hi. I'm Amanda."

The couple introduced themselves as Nancy and Buck and Amanda had to suppress a smile when she saw the expression on Lee's face. He most definitely did not want to talk to Nancy and _Buck_.

"So have you been here before?" Nancy asked cheerfully. "We come here quite regularly. Our Henry can show your boys around."

"That's great," Amanda said, smiling as politely as Lee had. "This is our first time here."

"You homeschool them too right?" Nancy chattered on while gesturing in the direction of the children. "Most parents here do. And on a perfect day like this, we're even happier that they don't have to be cooped up in a classroom all day. School work will be there tomorrow, right Lee?"

"Absolutely. Amanda's in charge of the school work. She's the boss."

"It's the same everywhere, right?" Buck chuckled, giving Lee a friendly punch in the shoulder.

"Oh, but it was Lee's idea to come here today," Amanda interjected. "He always has the best ideas. The boys were so happy when they heard about this place."

Lee pulled her a little closer to him and gave her the sweetest smile. She wondered if he wasn't overdoing things a little but when Nancy commented how wonderful it was to see another couple that was still head over heels with each other, she knew that nothing would be over the top for this particular couple. In a split second she decided to plant a quick kiss on Lee's lips, stunning him while Nancy and Buck got the message and said their temporary goodbyes.

"We'll see you later, hopefully?" Nancy said as they walked off.

Instead of replying, Lee used the opportunity to pull his 'wife' flush against him and kiss her again. His lips were soft and warm against hers and Amanda had to make an effort not to moan. When they broke apart she stared into his eyes but he quickly looked away, almost seeming a little shy.

"You wanna look around a bit? I'd like to go horseback riding if we can," he told her.

Amanda bit her lip.

"I'm allergic to horses, remember?"

Lee grinned.

"I've got you covered."

He tapped her purse and sure enough, she found a pack of her allergy pills in there.

"Oh Lee," she sighed. "That's so thoughtful of you."

He shrugged and smiled.

"Ah well. I really wanted to go horseback riding with you. So, what do you say?"

Amanda wrapped her arm around his waist again, finding that touching him was beginning to feel very natural already.

"Alright. Let's go find us some horses."

…


	8. Chapter 8: Something else

**8\. Something else**

Lee and Amanda had been riding for about twenty-five minutes when they arrived at a clearing. The people in charge of the trails had told them that there would be several places to take breaks along both the long trail and the shorter trails. They had chosen one of the short trails, that didn't require a guide because it was basically impossible to get lost on. When Lee spotted the picnic tables, he pointed ahead.

"Amanda, look. I think this is the first break spot. Do you want to take a break or do you want to continue to the next one?"

They were enjoying the scenery very much and Lee was also pleased that it was just the two of them. There were more people on the trail of course, but they weren't riding in groups and if it were up to him, he'd like to keep it that way. But Amanda wasn't used to sitting in the saddle so if she needed a break, she would have it.

"Oh no, let's keep going," Amanda called out.

She was getting used to the brown horse she was riding on, and was really enjoying the view as well as Lee's company. It actually felt a little like a vacation and it was nice to let her guard down for a while. She thought they might avoid running into other people if they skipped the first stop and kept going a little while longer. When they arrived at the next stop about fifteen minutes later, she wished they had brought along something to eat. All they had were the complimentary water bottles from the guide that had helped them choose the horses and had pointed them to their trail. She had left their lunch at the boys' camp site for later. After dismounting her horse, Amanda stretched her limbs and rubbed her behind. Lee chuckled.

"Saddle pain already, Mrs. Dunkirk?"

"I'll be fine," she was quick to say. She wasn't going to complain, although she was glad she was out of the saddle for the moment.

They tied the horses loosely to the fence that had been placed there for that purpose and sat down at one of two picnic tables. They both sipped their water for a few minutes, a comfortable silence hanging between them.

Lee thought he heard other horses approaching, and scooted closer to Amanda on the bench. When she looked at him with questioning eyes, he nodded in the direction of the trail and she understood.

"This is so lovely, isn't it Lee?" she chirped, hoping that whoever was approaching would hear.

"It sure is. Reminds me of our honeymoon," Lee played along and she shoved him playfully.

"Oh Lee. You have to keep bringing that up? I couldn't sit without a pillow for days!"

Lee laughed out loud, loving how good Amanda was at this game. She could always think on her feet so well, even in dangerous situations. He'd follow her blind through a blizzard at midnight, knowing that not only would she get him out safely but she'd make him laugh out loud getting there. He did love her quirks more and more …

Amanda cocked her head and looked at him attentively, in a way that suddenly made his face flush. She smiled at him sweetly and he was at a loss for words for a moment. They heard the voices of at least two people chatting as they approached the clearing on their horses, and Amanda bit her lip while she looked up at him through her eye lashes. The thought of kissing her again flashed through his mind but why was he suddenly so nervous?

"What is it, darling?" Amanda asked him sweetly. "Do you want to continue on the trail?"

She reached up to pick an imaginary leaf from his hair and Lee felt his heart skip a beat unexpectedly.

Then, four horses emerged, with three girls and an older woman on them. The woman was telling the girls something about their surroundings while they approached. Amanda, whose back was turned to the group, rolled her eyes. Lee took that to mean that she wasn't excited about the company and he quickly made his move, kissing her full on the lips. Amanda made a soft sound of surprise but then she joined in, wrapping her arm around his neck and kissing him back. Lee felt something akin to electricity shoot through his entire body and before he realized it, he had parted her lips to deepen the kiss. Amanda moaned softly and he pulled her closer to him. The party of four that had appeared in the clearing was completely forgotten for a minute while their tongues found each other in an intimate dance for the first time.

When giggling reached their ears, they reluctantly pulled back and Lee blew out a breath while Amanda stared at him with wide eyes of wonder.

"Come along girls, let's go and find the next clearing," the older woman suggested rather loudly.

Lee glanced at the woman over Amanda's shoulder. She was very stubbornly _not _looking at them, while all the girls couldn't resist glancing at the couple a few times. Amanda looked over her shoulder and grinned at the girls, and one of them even gave her a thumbs up. She giggled and rested her head on Lee's shoulder for emphasis. Lee rubbed the back of her head with his cheek, enjoying having her so close to him for the moment. Once the girls had disappeared between the trees, he wasn't sure what to do. He felt like a fish out of water with Amanda, and it was the first time he wasn't sure what to do with a woman he was attracted to. Because he was. There was no denying it now: he was attracted to Amanda King.

And that was the thing. She was _Amanda King. _He wasn't supposed to feel attracted to her. She wasn't even his type.

"Everything alright?" Amanda asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. "You didn't … you didn't really hate doing that, did you, Lee? I mean, you were frowning so hard just now."

Her completely unfiltered honestly was so disarming that all Lee could do was take Amanda in his arms again and hold her close to him while he assured her,

"No. I didn't hate doing that at all."

"I'm glad," Amanda sighed. "We wouldn't be much of a married couple if you did."

Her comment made Lee chuckle and he pulled her close once more to kiss her cheek before he released her.

"You're something else, you know that, Amanda?" he told her, still grinning.

"Yeah. I know," she responded so seriously that Lee wondered if she could actually read his mind.

Was she aware that she was different from every other woman he'd ever kissed? And did she think she was coming up short in the comparison? He didn't want her to think that. Not at all. And so he told her quickly,

"And it's a very, very nice kind of something else."

The truth of his words didn't hit him until he said them out loud and now he felt even more like a fish out of water. Amanda saved him from saying anything stupid or embarrassing by caressing his cheek gently with her hand and telling him,

"That is a very sweet thing to say, Lee. Thank you."

He grinned at her sheepishly, and was almost relieved when he heard more horses approaching.

"Oh look!" they suddenly heard a familiar voice shout. "It's my daughter and her husband!"

Amanda rolled her eyes before turning around with a wide smile to greet her mother and her companion, and Lee cleared his throat. He wasn't entirely sure what had just happened, but whatever it was, the moment has passed.

"Hello mother. I didn't know you were on the trail as well."

Amanda sounded as chipper as ever and Lee stood up with her to greet Dotty and her companion, who dismounted their horses and tied them to the fence next to theirs.

"Lee, Amanda, this is Alfred. He's here with his son and granddaughters. Alfred, this is my daughter Amanda and her husband Lee."

They all shook hands and exchanged pleased-to meet-yous' and then sat down at the picnic table. Dotty had brought some salted crackers and passed them around. Lee wondered if they were going to be riding as a group from here on, and part of him was disappointed. He'd been enjoying spending time alone with Amanda, away from her children who were always at the top of her list when it came to giving attention. But soon, Dotty suggested that she and Alfred be on their way. She was clearly interested in getting to know the older gentleman better, and Amanda smirked when Alfred stood up and followed Dotty to their horses without any argument.

"It was nice to meet you," Amanda called after them, and Alfred waved at them while Dotty grinned and then winked at her daughter.

"Don't hurry to catch up with us, dear," she instructed her daughter and then it was just the two of them again.

Lee smiled at Amanda, who gave him a radiant smile in return.

"Well then, Mr. Dunkirk. Looks like it's still just the two of us."

Lee nodded.

"Yeah. It's kinda nice, right?"

"It is."

Amanda nodded too but wasn't looking at him anymore. He wondered what she was thinking, and if she was maybe looking away for a reason. He wanted to reach out to her in some way but he wasn't sure if that was inappropriate. They didn't need to play a role when they were alone. Still, now that he was finally admitting to himself that he was, in fact, attracted to her, he wanted to know more about her. Not about her job or volunteer work or her family. He knew all that stuff. And he'd read plenty of other facts in her personnel file. No, he wanted to know what her favorite food was and her favorite movie; if she had any more of those strange books in the cabin and if she would want a pet or even another child …

He swallowed hard when he realized his mind was running away with him. He was conjuring up images of a real family life with her, not a pretend one like they were having right now, on this little outing. He'd want to have horses of his own and go riding with her on weekends …

He shook his head in a feeble attempt to shake these thoughts out of his head. He watched Amanda's profile as she stared in the distance and he couldn't help smiling. No matter how serious she could be, how angry even, there was always something so delicate and sweet about her. And here, she looked like she felt completely at home; content with being exactly where she was. They were in no rush and in no danger for the time being and he wished they could stay here like this for a while longer. But they would have to continue riding at some point, and once they climbed their horses again, Lee tried to put all thoughts of Amanda as more than a partner and a friend out of his mind. They hadn't kissed again and he suspected they wouldn't for quite some time. Not unless he made a real move, not as Mr. Dunkirk, but as Lee Stetson. He'd never been as nervous about the idea of making a move on a woman as he was now.

...

**A/N: I know this was short but I really wanted to give you all an update, since you've been waiting for so long! To be continued ...**


	9. Chapter 9: Love birds

**9\. Love birds**

When Amanda and Lee arrived back at the campsite where the boys were, it took a while for them to locate Philip and Jamie. They seemed to have assimilated easily with the group and when they spotted their mother and 'father', they ran over to them excitedly to let them know they were invited to cook their own lunch over the fire with the other children.

"Can we? Can we, mom? They only ask for five dollars each."

"Oh. Well, that sounds like a lot of fun!" Amanda said. Of course she was alright with it, and she quickly got out her wallet to hand Philip a 10 dollar bill. Then the boys were off again to join their new friends around the fire. She was glad that the boys were having such a great time.

"Looks like it's the three of us then," she added, turning to Lee.

Lee was looking around to see if he'd spot Dotty and Amanda did the same.

"She'll be here soon, I'm sure," Amanda said. "Let's go and find a nice spot for our blanket. I was thinking over there, near the trees. We've been in the sun long enough."

Lee followed her lead, retrieving their picnic basket and cooler and finding a nice spot underneath a tree, close enough that they would be able to see some of the activity around the campfire, but far enough away for some privacy. Amanda didn't want the boys to think she didn't trust them to be on their own, but she wanted to stay close by just the same, in case they needed her or their grandmother.

She spotted her mother then, still accompanied by Alfred, and they were walking arm in arm. Amanda and Lee had just finished draping the picnic blanket on the ground and Amanda waved at her mother, trying to get her attention.

"Mother! Over here!" she shouted, and then Dotty steered Alfred in their direction.

Once the older couple had reached their picnic spot, Alfred spoke up. Amanda was pleased to find out that he wasn't someone who let her mother walk all over him, but he was actually interested in spending time with her.

"Young lady, I hope you don't mind but I would like to steal your mother away for a bit longer. I'd like her to join me and my son for lunch. He's alone here, you see. The girls will be making their own lunch over the fire and I'm sure the two of you wouldn't mind getting rid of the third wheel here."

The man winked at Amanda and Dotty huffed, punching Alfred in the ribs with her elbow, but Amanda could tell she was very flattered and appreciated his sense of humor as well.

"Oh yes, we'll be fine. Won't we darling?" she asked, turning to Lee.

"Yes, yes. We'll be fine. A little private time will be good for us," Lee confirmed, staying in character.

"Splendid!" Alfred exclaimed. "Let's go, Dorothea, and leave these two love birds alone."

Dotty smiled widely and looped her arm through Alfred's arm again. She looked over her shoulder as they walked off and told them,

"Enjoy your lunch, _love birds_."

Amanda shook her head at her mother's antics. She was really milking their covers today. But Amanda wasn't sure what to do with the butterflies in her stomach when she glanced at her companion. She focused on their lunch, digging through the picnic basket she had prepared to set all the items out on their blanket while Lee got their sandwiches and some cool fruits from the cooler. Once their lunch was sitting between them, they moved the basket and the cooler off the blanket so they would have room to stretch out after eating.

They ate quietly for a while and Amanda smiled when Lee praised her sandwiches, like he had done several times before and bit her lip when he reached out to catch a drop of mayo from the corner of her mouth.

"Always the gentleman," she joked, trying to quell her nerves with a little humor.

"It's what a husband does," Lee stated with a little shrug and a radiant smile.

His smile made her stomach clench and she quickly looked away, until she spotted Nancy and Buck over Lee's shoulder. Her eyes connected with his instantly, shock evident in them.

"What?" Lee asked, but when he wanted to look over his shoulder, she quickly put a hand on his arm to stop him. She made herself smaller until she was leaning sideways on one arm, her half-eaten sandwich still clutched in her other hand.

"Nancy and Buck," she half-whispered, half-mouthed at him while hiding her face from the other couple's view.

Recognition dawned in his eyes and then a devilish gleam appeared in them.

"Wanna scare them off?" he asked and she knew what he meant.

He mimicked her, leaning sideways on one arm while facing her, and then moving in to tuck one of her unruly curls behind her ear. Amanda felt her face flush but she wasn't going to break their cover. The fact that she was nervous about kissing Lee again wasn't going to stop her. She put her sandwich down between them and reached for his face, pretending to be wiping something off his cheek and then his shoulder. It felt nice to touch him and it wasn't like she had never touched him before, but there was something in the air that made her incredibly aware of every little detail. The warmth of his hand against her cheek, the slight trembling of the corner of his mouth and his beautiful, beautiful brown eyes, that closed just before his lips touched hers, ever so softly. She couldn't suppress a small moan and she leaned into him, holding onto his shoulder for balance while reciprocating the tender kiss.

It was different this time. Gentle, even a bit tentative, as if they were both exploring slowly instead of just diving in to play their part. Lee nipped her lower lip and Amanda sighed before doing the same to his upper lip, and then they were kissing fully but still tenderly. There was no rush at all and Nancy and Buck were completely forgotten for the moment. Amanda felt like they were breathing the same air, with no need to stop to take a breath. Lee's thumb was caressing her cheek gently, his other fingers wrapping around her neck to keep her close to him while he tilted his head slightly and began coaxing her lips to let him in.

"Lee," Amanda sighed and when Lee hummed, the sensuality of the moment coursed through her body.

She opened her mouth and Lee dove in, his tongue finding hers again. It was Lee who moaned softly then and that sound of pleasure gave Amanda the confidence to intensify their kiss. Before she realized what was happening, Lee had grabbed her around her torso and was draping her on the blanket, never breaking their intimate kiss. When he pulled away to look at her, making sure she was still okay with what was happening, she smiled up at him. She could see the desire in his eyes and it made her heart skip several beats.

"Get back here," she whispered boldly and she didn't need to tell him twice.

If it hadn't been for several lunch items between them on the blanket, Amanda would have pulled him flush against her. For now, she would have to make do with just his arms and chest. Lee was leaning over her diagonally, kissing her deeply once more while bracing himself on his elbows. Amanda snaked her arms around his upper body and caressed his back while Lee was ravaging her mouth. They were both moaning softly now and when they finally came up for air, they stared at each other in wonder, neither of them knowing what to say or what to do next.

It was Lee who finally found his voice again, and he asked her,

"Did they take the hint?"

Amanda rolled her head to the side so she could peek at the campfire and the other people having lunch around them.

"Yes. They're sitting with another couple," she said quietly, hoping her voice wasn't trembling too much.

"Great."

She looked up at Lee again and thought he looked adorably flushed. He moved to the side when she began pushing herself up from the blanket and she spotted her half-eaten sandwich. It was as good a distraction as any, so she said,

"Oh good, you didn't squash it."

Lee looked down and picked up the sandwich to hand it to her. He cleared his throat and Amanda wondered what was making him uncomfortable. Was he feeling the same things she was, or was it the opposite and did he simply not know what to make of her response to him? But he had initiated every move as much as she had. She was still shaking inside from how he had made her feel just now. Was he feeling that too?

She took another bite of her sandwich while Lee grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler and drank a few sips. He scooted up the blanket and was trying to get comfortable leaning back against the tree they were under. Amanda did the same until they were sitting side by side, close together. They were a married couple after all, who had just been making out. Lee lifted his arm and draped it around her shoulders, and Amanda scooted closer to him. It was a natural move for a married couple. To her surprise, Lee pressed a kiss on her temple and when she looked up at him, he just gave her a lopsided smile.

"What are you thinking, Lee?" Amanda asked him quietly.

"I just want you to be okay," Lee told her.

"Aww, Lee. Why wouldn't I be okay? As long as I'm with you, I'm _always _okay."

Before Amanda could worry if she'd said too much, she saw the tender look in Lee's eyes.

"Still, huh?" he asked with a smile.

"Yeah. Still," she confirmed softly.

Lee pulled her a little closer to him and said sincerely,

"I'm glad."

…

Lee wondered if he would ever get used to the innocent, honest way Amanda would just blurt out things, like she had just now. _As long as I'm with you, I'm always okay_.  
She'd said things like that to him before, and he had usually attributed it to her almost childlike admiration for his profession as a spy. It stroked his ego, he wouldn't deny that, but right now he knew her words meant more than that. She had been passionate and had ignited a fire inside him he hadn't known could ever burn for a woman like Amanda. He wanted more - a lot more; and that made him worry suddenly. He would never want to hurt Amanda. He didn't want her to be just another entry in his black book - and he knew that wasn't what Amanda would want either. She was far too serious for that and had high moral standards. Once again, he thought she was too good for him - for a man like him. What did he have to offer her in the end? She wanted stability for herself and her boys. How could he ever give her that, considering the line of business he was in?

Then again, she was in that very same line of business now too, and something major had changed recently. Her family knew. He wouldn't have to sneak around anymore to see her, hiding in her backyard and waiting to knock on her kitchen window until Dotty had left the room. He would just be able to come in now and talk to Amanda and her family. If they could ever go back home, that is.

He felt Amanda snuggle a little closer to him, resting her head against his shoulder, and when he looked at her he saw she had closed her eyes. She was relaxing and it filled him with a sense of pride that she was, indeed, so comfortable with him. As long as she was with him, she was okay. He rubbed his cheek against her forehead gently and when Amanda sighed contently, he breathed out slowly. He wished he could embrace this moment as easily as Amanda seemed to be doing. Her hand had dropped to his thigh and he looked at her slender fingers, resting so completely relaxed against him. That same hand had held onto him for dear life earlier, trying to get even closer to him. Amanda King was a lot stronger than she looked, both physically and mentally. If anyone could teach him what it took to make a real relationship work, it was her.

And he wanted it.

It was suddenly so clear to him.

He already knew that he cared about Amanda as a person. He had started to care about her even before he was ready to admit it. But he hadn't wanted her as a woman yet back then. All he had wanted to do was protect her; her and her children. They had to be alright, no matter what. He had cared deeply about their wellbeing, almost as if they were his own family. It was all beginning to make sense to him now. Because now he finally realized that he _did _want Amanda as a woman as well. And that attraction as well as this deep need to make sure she was safe, those were the ingredients of - dare he say it - _love_. He would always want to protect her and make sure she was alright - because he loved her. The thought made him hot and cold simultaneously inside and he shivered a bit.

Amanda lifted her head and looked at him, her dark eyes perusing his hazel ones for a clue what he was thinking now. She was pulling him in with her openness and genuine caring. But he saw more now, now that he had opened his eyes. He saw her beauty, both on the inside and the outside. And he saw a sensuality he hadn't seen before; he must have been afraid to see it because it was impossible to miss now. He took a deep breath then and made a decision. He was diving in head first. All or nothing. He reached up to cup her cheek, leaned in and kissed her deeply once again.

…

Amanda knew it wasn't Lee Dunkirk kissing his wife of fourteen years this time. This was most definitely Lee Stetson. Her friend, her work partner and the man she had fallen in love with. Her body responded to him automatically, her arm wrapping around his neck and her upper body turning into him to get closer to him. His lips were soft but strong and his kiss was deep and hungry. They hummed in unison when Lee's arms snaked around her until her chest was pressed up against his. Lee held her close with one arm while his other hand found its way down her back until he was cupping her butt. Amanda felt tingly all over and reciprocated Lee's hungry kisses eagerly. There was no mistaking what was happening between them now; they weren't acting anymore. Maybe they never had been.

Lee had awoken something in her that had been dormant for a long time. None of her recent dates had come close and not even Dean had made her feel quite like this, and he had tried. Amanda had already admitted to herself that she was attracted to Lee but the pure want that was coursing through her veins right now shocked even her. If they had been alone somewhere and Lee had wanted to take things further, she didn't know if she would have been able to resist. It wouldn't even have been a matter of resisting him, but of stopping _herself _from getting carried away. Feeling his warm hands explore her body over her clothes wasn't enough. She wanted more. A lot more.

When they broke apart they were both breathing heavily and Amanda stared at Lee with wide eyes of wonder. Lee bit his lip but couldn't suppress a smile, which in turn made her smile as well. Soon they were both grinning like fools and when Lee rested his forehead against hers, Amanda closed her eyes to take in the moment. Her arms were still wrapped around Lee's neck and she didn't want to let go, and Lee didn't seem very eager to let go of her either.

Gradually, the sounds around them filtered back into their little cocoon and the sound of children's voices pulled her out of her reverie. She opened her eyes to see if her sons were still engrossed in their group activities. Lee seemed to take the hint and released his grip on her to look around as well. They saw that several of the other parents and grandparents had finished their lunch and were walking around again or looking for another activity to join.

"Maybe we should uh …" Lee started.

"Yeah. Maybe we should."

"Will your mother be alright?"

"I'm sure she will be."

They let go of each other and straightened out their clothes, and then pulled the camp site leaflet from Amanda's bag to see what else they could do while the boys were being entertained.

…

**To be continued.**

**A/N: I hope this was worth the wait ... I'll try to add more soon!**


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